Cops to train over 8,000 officers

Published: Tuesday April 22, 2014 MYT 12:00:00 AM 

Updated: Tuesday April 22, 2014 MYT 10:22:26 AM

PUTRAJAYA: More than 8,000 officers are expected to be trained in the police force this year, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Among them are 5,000 recruits. The rest are candidates to fill slots vacated by those who have retired.

Ahmad Zahid said part of the training will be at the Defence Ministry’s army training camp at Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan.

“This is in line with the National Blue Ocean Strategy, which provides for the police to cooperate with other institutions to improve the efficiency and ability of the force,” he said.

This includes cooperation with the International Association of Police Academies (Interpa), he told reporters after opening the 3rd Interpa conference here yesterday.

Ahmad Zahid thanked Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Paul Low who had provided an allocation from the department to enable senior police officers to receive professional training overseas.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who was present at the event, urged organisers of a planned May Day demonstration against the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to reconsider their decision to gather at Dataran Merdeka.

He said the police were closing the city square to the public to allow for upgrading works to be carried out there.

“We hope they will give their full co-operation,” Khalid said, adding that police were waiting for feedback from the organisers.

On Sunday, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor said Kuala Lumpur City Hall had not received notice for any gathering at Dataran Merdeka and advised the public to stay away from the rally.

On the MH370 incident, Khalid said the search continues to recover deleted files from the flight simulator belonging to Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah.

He said more people will be called up to give statements relating to the incident. The police have so far recorded 260 statements relating to the missing craft.

On another Malaysia Airlines incident, Khalid said police would carry out part of the investigations into the air turnback on Monday of MH192, that had earlier left the KL International Airport for Bengaluru (Bangal­ore) in India.

The plane’s landing gear had allegedly malfunctioned after take-off at 10.09pm. The craft, with 166 people on board, was due to arrive in the Indian city at 11.35pm (Indian time).