Budget 2022 a boost for security forces - Hamzah

MELAKA: The 2022 Budget, tabled in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, will further strengthen the country's security forces, especially the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), to face new challenges while battling the COVID-19 threat, said Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

He said that he had held discussions with the Finance Ministry before the tabling of the 2022 Budget so that the government would give priority to the security forces, especially the PDRM, by formulating the best strategy to face any threat triggered by a pandemic.

"We want the position of the Home Ministry to be given priority because from our experience in the last year, once the tasks had been assigned, suddenly many new things occurred.

"For example, the 'Op Benteng' ... on how to guard the country's borders. In the past, we did not have a strategy for 'Op Benteng'. Now we know which parts are inadequate and where we need to add. We formulated a strategy and presented it to the Finance Ministry," he told reporters after a working visit to the Melaka police contingent headquarters today.

Also present were Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim and Melaka police chief, Datuk Abdul Majid Mohd Ali.

Hamzah said that the gazetting of four new immigration gateways and the construction of eight General Operations Force control posts, in Sabah and Sarawak, were also among the Home Ministry's new strategies, in an effort to eradicate problems at the country's borders.

"This is for the strategy of going in and out (of the country) for Malaysians and foreigners, to be given priority so that there will be no problem of people coming in and never leaving. Whether they come here as visitors or those who come to work," he said.

Yesterday, Finance Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, when tabling the Budget 2022, among other things announced that RM230 million was allocated for PDRM and Malaysian Armed Forces to look after the welfare of their personnel, and RM13 million to empower the PDRM's Sexual, Women and Children Crime Investigation Division (D11).

Meanwhile, Hamzah said that the upcoming Melaka state election will serve as a platform for PDRM to test the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for COVID-19 as the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) is still applicable.

-- BERNAMA