Task force to tackle the rise in shootings
Published on: Sunday, July 10, 2016
Putra Jaya: Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said a special taskforce has been formed to deal with the increasing frequency of shooting cases nationwide.He said the cases were not random acts perpetrated by trigger-happy shooters, but criminals with a certain motive and urged the public to allow the police time to investigate properly to resolve the crimes."I have said before that there's a reason behind each shooting case. This is not a random shooting.
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"This is not people having fun going around shooting there, shooting here. There is a reason behind it, so give us time," he told reporters."Actually I have prepared a team dedicated to handle shooting cases, but because these cases seem more frequent, I have added a taskforce to track down and ensure those involved are arrested," he also said.There have been several shootings in the past few weeks, with the latest being the July 6 fatal shooting of a real estate agent in the Taman OUG suburb here.On June 29, a man survived six gunshots from unidentified motorcyclists at KM3.5 of the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban highway.
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On June 21, two motorists were injured when they were shot at the traffic lights intersection of the main road with Sunway Batu Caves.Eight days later, the suspected perpetrator was shot dead at USJ 11, Subang Jaya by the police who were said to be acting in self-defence.
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Miri PKR branch secretary Bill Kayong was shot dead on June 21 by an unidentified person at a traffic light junction in his Sarawak hometown.On June 15, a businessman died after being hit by six out of 10 shots fired by an unidentified motorcyclist at the Sungai Rasau toll plaza in Selangor.In Sabah in April, two Sarawakians were killed while another escape unhurt after two men pumped eight bullets into the driver's side window of a Toyota Land Cruiser in Foh Sang, in the State Capital.Meanwhile, the shooting incidents and other violent crimes has resulted in a sharp rise in the need for services of armed bodyguards and security personnel.Several security firms are reporting a shortage of trained armed personnel and are rushing to train more skilled guards, with one company saying there had been a three-fold increase in demand.Security Services Association of Malaysia president Datuk Seri Mustapa Ali said security firms were training more armed personnel."The use of former police and special forces personnel as armed bodyguards is no longer enough to cater to the demand."We have had several meetings with the police and Home Ministry to discuss the training of civilians as armed bodyguards," he said.Mustapa said security firms charged between RM8,000 and RM10,000 a month for armed bodyguards which he said was "not cheap". He said the training of civilians to complement the Certified Security Guard programme was expected to start after the Hari Raya holidays."Candidates will have to go through a two-week crash course by the police before they are allowed to handle firearms," he said.Chico Force Sdn Bhd executive director Niho Khoo said the firm's armed personnel services were "sold out"."The demand for armed bodyguards is so high that we are really hard-pressed,' she added. Khoo said there was a new demand for a bodyguard who also doubled up as a personal aide."There are clients who want not just a security member but someone who can take up other corporate duties such as manage the boss' itinerary, flight plans, accommodation and to even sit in and take notes during meetings," she added.Khoo said the executive aide-de-camp (EADC) project involved training for between six months and a year, covering firearms, close-combat techniques, defensive driving and close protection skills.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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