Home Ministry to tighten security agency weapons management system

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said among the agencies involved were the police, People's Volunteer Corps (RELA), Road Transport Department (RTD) and Malaysia Royal Customs Department.

According to him, police had their own strict standard operating procedure (SOP).

"So I feel there is no problem with police, however, it could be for other security agencies.

"As such, the Home Ministry will ensure their SOPs will be tightened to account for all weapons issued to the agencies," he told reporters after launching a dengue gotong-royong for Zone 19 and 20 in Taman Bukit Indah, here, today.

Nur Jazlan was commenting on a newspaper report which alleged that 44 shotguns were reported missing from RELA in Selama, Perak early this month.

The report said the weapons were realised missing after the Firearms Licensing Enforcement Units of the Kedah police headquarters and Bukit Aman audited the RELA Northern Region Training Centre in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

According to the report, a special team had been set up comprising Serious Crimes Division (D9) personnel from Kedah and Kuala Muda district police.

The team later raided several locations in Perak and Kedah since Wednesday which led to the arrest of six suspects and recovery of several shotguns as well as 300 live bullets.

Nur Jazlan did not rule out the possibility of the missing weapons being linked to terrorists.