Assault on SL envoy: Malaysia to review KLIA security procedures

Police are reviewing the security procedures at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) following Sunday's assault on Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Sahib Ansar.

This is to being done to establish if there is a need to deploy more personnel there, or for changes to be made on security duty procedures. Federal police Management Department director Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah said any changes on security procedures at the KLIA will be determined from an assessment by the Selangor police chief.

"I believe that the Selangor police chief is looking into this matter, and we (Management Department) are open to suggestions.

"If there is a need to increase the number of personnel at KLIA, we will increase, or (improve) the way duties are carried out. "Because sometimes, adding more people might not be the answer, but it is about the way we do the job, how we uti0lise the technology we have and so forth," he told reporters at the Royal Malaysian Police College in Cheras, in Kuala Lumpur earlier today.

Zulkifli was representing the Inspector-General of Police at the annual assembly of police's civilian officers. He said the review, however, is not a mere reaction as police always conduct reviews on security procedures from time to time. At the press conference, Zulkifli said police are also hopeful that the government would hire more civilian officers, especially professionals, to assist the force in their management.

He said police now have around 14,000 civilian officers, with less than 10 per cent from professional backgrounds. The force needs an additional of 1,000 more.