PORT KLANG, April 17 — The government has agreed to equip the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) with necessary armaments, with procurement to begin before year-end, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The matter had been discussed in meetings with the ministry, and the Cabinet had agreed to the need, following a shooting incident involving AKPS Bukit Kayu Hitam commander Mohd Nasaruddin Mohd Nasir in February.
“We have agreed on the need for armaments, but only the type is yet to be decided. There are various options, such as taser guns or light weapons like pistols.
"Both options are being studied by the Home Ministry’s secretary-general, in line with Cabinet instructions, which I have conveyed for implementation.
“Whether they are equipped first with taser guns or pistols, or both, is still being studied by the ministry’s secretary-general,” he said during a media conference after the Home Ministry’s programme to release the ashes of Quranic texts and materials, formed into blocks, into the sea aboard the maritime vessel KM Tun Fatimah today.
Saifuddin added that the matter cannot be delayed any longer, given the high-risk nature of AKPS duties, and that further developments will be announced in the near future.
Previously, he said that the government is prepared to support AKPS's needs, including armaments and safety equipment, to ensure the agency can carry out its responsibilities more effectively.
In the 5.40am February 25 incident, a Proton X70, driven by Nasaruddin, was reportedly fired upon at a slip road near Masjid Muhajirin in Bukit Kayu Hitam, about 1km from the Malaysia-Thailand border.
Nasaruddin, who was on his way to perform Subuh prayers, escaped unharmed.
