Bulletproof gear for border force

Police want to better protect control posts from attacks and gunfire

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) plans to provide bulletproof equipment, including bulletproof vests, at control posts along the MalaysiaThailand border.

This comes following a shootout late last year between General Operations Force (GOF) personnel and smugglers along the border near Padang Besar, Perlis, killing one officer and seriously injuring another.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and

Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Jaafar said it had conducted a study and forwarded the proposal to the relevant parties to ensure that each control post be equipped to withstand enemy attacks and gunfire.

“(It) is not a sandbag (but equipment) with bulletproof technology for use at control posts as a buffer.

“Previously, this equipment was not used (at the control posts) and we were vulnerable to being shot at.

“We have taken this proposal to the next level with the required allocation. (For now, it may be provided) at hotspot areas only and not at all control posts as it requires a large allocation,” he said.

Following the incident involving members of the GOF being shot at at the border last year, he said three suspects had yet to be handed over by the Thai authorities.

“There are still three people who have not been handed over to us by the Thai authorities, and we hope that will happen in the near future.”

On Nov 24 last year, GOF Senoi Praaq personnel Sjn Baharuddin Ramli, 54, was killed, while his colleague Sjn Norihan Tari was seriously injured when two groups of at least 13 smugglers set upon them and opened fire about 600m from the TS9 control post in Padang Besar.

In October 2019, the GOF control post in Padang Besar was also attacked by several individuals using firecrackers, which shattered a glass window.

On smugglers throwing stones or firing in the air, he said the police would report such incidents to the Thai authorities for further action.

“(This is because) we have an agreement with Thailand. If a shooting or act happens from the Thai side, we will not respond but will report to them for action. We do not want to create an atmosphere of disharmony with the Thai side. That is our agreement with Thailand,” he said. — Bernama