JPAM personnel to be exposed to weapons training - Zaitun

Malaysian Civil Defence Department (JPAM) personnel will be given exposure on skills training in weapon handling very soon, its director-general Datuk Zaitun Ab Samad said.

She said the department had already held discussions with an agency under the Home Ministry which had agreed to provide skills training on the use of firearms to JPAM personnel.

“According to the Civil Defence Act 1951, the JPAM is a security force. In the security forces there are the military, police and JPAM. When the police and military forces go out to defend the nation, we will be left behind to look after public security. The only difference is that members of the JPAM are not involved in armed combat.

”For the moment, we provide training in terms of providing aid during times of disaster, fire, drowning, emergency...skills in the use of weapons do not mean we are going to war, but if there is a threat and we have to defend members of the public, then our personnel must know how to handle weapons,” she told reporters after officiating at the Perak JPAM Outstanding Awards Night 2014.

She said the skills training would be carried out in stages beginning with training for the permanent officers.