Cops will beef up FRU presence in West M'sia if necessary: IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: The police will consider beefing up its Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel in West Malaysia if necessary and pending government approval.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said currently there are 2,400 FRU personnel nationwide which fits into 21 troops.
"If there is a necessity, we will expand the troops to Sabah and Sarawak to ensure issues regarding public peace are controlled nationwide.
"These expansions are not entirely up to us, we have to get approval from the government in terms of allocations from the Home Ministry and other agencies," he said after attending the FRU 62nd anniversary celebrations at the unit's headquarters in Cheras today.
He said that he would be sending proposals to the Public Services Department (JPA) to request for personnel and would be sending another proposal to the Home Ministry to request for updated logistics in these areas.
Mohamad Fuzi however, did not elaborate on the figures he had requested.
He also eluded that the FRU needs to stock up on equipment and machinery to help the Unit deal with crowds, especially to prepare themselves for the upcoming general elections.
"We need gas masks, shields, and also vehicles equipped with the latest technologies ... we are facing an election, so we need the logistics," he said.
Mohamad Fuzi said that the Unit has begun its drills in anticipation of the elections and is satisfied with its progress.
"So far they have done three drills nationwide for the elections and there will be more," he said.
Mohamad Fuzi also said that out of the 21 troops nationwide, there is one troop that consists of only women, which was set up some 15 years after the start of the FRU, about 47 years ago.
"Currently there are only 80 women in the troop nationwide but we are looking to add to that number," he said.
The role of the women unit was to deal with women demonstrators or detainees if necessary.