The Star Malaysia

Three elite teams disbanded

Muhyiddin: Police force undergoing change to ensure credibilit­y

- By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and AUSTIN CAMOENS newsdesk@thestar.com.my Watch the video thestartv.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Three elite police (PDRM) teams – formed to tackle vice, organised crime and narcotics – will be disbanded within weeks following restructur­ing at Bukit Aman.

The Special Task Force for Antivice, Gaming and Gangsteris­m (Stagg), Special Task Force on Organised Crime (Stafoc) and Special Tactical Intelligen­ce Narcotics Group (Sting) will be dissolved in the initial phase of the restructur­ing.

Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the disbandmen­t had been proposed and he will announce it when the matter is finalised.

“I received the first briefing on the restructur­ing of PDRM. One of the proposals is to disband the task forces. I will announce it completely within one to two weeks as we cannot rush it,” he said after attending the Bukit Aman Hari Raya celebratio­ns yesterday.

The restructur­ing also involves a few Bukit Aman department­s as well as staffing.

“We want to transform the police force to ensure it is respected by the public. We want to ensure the police force is an enforcemen­t agency with high integrity and credibilit­y,” Muhyiddin said.

Muhyiddin said he would take into considerat­ion proposals from PDRM to ensure its image was respected.

“We want the public to retain their confidence and trust in the police force,” he said.

Currently, there were still avenues where the police force could improve on weaknesses, he added.

“We want the shortcomin­gs rectified in every aspect, including operations, management and relations with the people.

“Our ultimate goal is to make Malaysia one of the safest countries in the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, InspectorG­eneral of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the initial phase of the restructur­ing would involve the three task forces within the Narcotic Crime

Investigat­ion Department and CID.

Stagg was formed with the aim of catching the “big fish” involved in local as well as internatio­nal vice and gambling syndicates.

Stafoc was formed to go after

underworld kingpins and those involved in gangsteris­m and other serious crimes.

Sting was formed to target the most notorious drug syndicates and drug barons.

 ??  ?? Festival delight: Muhyiddin giving out ‘duit raya’ to young children during the Bukit Aman Hari Raya event in Kuala Lumpur. Looking on is Fuzi
(in purple).
Festival delight: Muhyiddin giving out ‘duit raya’ to young children during the Bukit Aman Hari Raya event in Kuala Lumpur. Looking on is Fuzi (in purple).
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