Lee Lam Thye hopes no cuts in security budget

Non-governmental organisation 1Malaysia Foundation hopes allocations provided for security in the 2016 budget tabled last year will not be subjected to any huge reductions when it is revised this year.

Its trustee Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said this was especially important for Sabah particularly in the eastern coast to ensure the people’s safety and that provision of assets to the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) would continue to beef up security there.

“I urge the government not to have severe cuts in its revision of funds for the security sector in the budget to the extent that security is negatively affected. This is especially important in view of the kidnapping and intrusion incidents in eastern Sabah,” he told a media conference on the government's policies and strategies here Wednesday.

He said in the 2016 Budget, a total of RM13.1 billion is committed to enhance national security, including RM155 million to build two new district police headquarters in Kota Kinabalu and Lawas (Sarawak), RM36 million for building office quarters and upgrading of immigration detention centres, and RM50 million to boost security measures in prisons.

“I urge the government not to have severe cuts in its revision of funds for the security sector in the budget to the extent that security is negatively affected. This is especially important in view of the kidnapping and intrusion incidents in eastern Sabah,” he said during a media conference on the government's policies and strategies here Wednesday.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last Friday announced the government’s plan to review and revise the 2016 budget tabled last October due to falling oil prices and a number of economic factors at the global level.

Meanwhile Lee, who is also chairman of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), said the question of security was much intertwined with safety at the workplace and roads.

He said between 6,000 and 7,000 lives were lost in road accidents throughout the country annually and hoped the budget allocated for the Transport Ministry particularly its agencies such as the Road Safety Department and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) would not be drastically reduced.