PUTRAJAYA, Sept 3- The police most likely to receive an additional allocation in the 2014 Budget as they seek more muscle to combat crime, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Speaking to reporters after attending the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly here on Monday, he said the additional fund would be capitalised to procure assets and equipment.
He supported a proposal made by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar on the need for the police to beef up the police air wing and hoped an allocation for the purchase of more helicopters would be approved.
“The police urgently need helicopters for their operations… we are constrained by assets and equipment,” said Zahid.
In his speech, he said 1,107 offenders had undergone a compulsory attendance order to enable the government to reduce the cost of managing prisoners by RM3.5 million up to Aug 23.
“This shows that the strategic alliance between the Prisons Department and the courts not only helps to rehabilitate offenders, but also save public fund,” he added.
He congratulated the Prisons Department for being able to maintain recidivism (habitual relapse into crime) or repeated offender rate in prison at 7.96 per cent from January to July.
– BERNAMA
