Immediate increase in allowance for volunteer police: Ahmad Zahid (Updated)

ALOR STAR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today announced an increase of RM2 per hour in the allowance of police volunteers throughout the country with immediate effect.
Ahmad Zahid said it involved an increase from RM6 to RM8 per hour while officers will have their allowance raised from RM7 to RM9 per hour.
"I wish to announce that for police volunteers, the increased allowance will take effect as announced by the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak) for all volunteers in other voluntary units.
"The rise is immediate ... hopefully this will attract more participation in the voluntary units to provide positive motivation and spirit," he said when officially opening the Kota Star District Police Headquarters, here today.
Also present were Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, Deputy IGP Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim, Kedah Police Chief Datuk Zainal Abidin Kasim and Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah. — Bernama
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said the Prime Minister emphasised national security organisations, including the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), by providing them with the necessary allocations to acquire sophisticated assets and equipment.
"The Prime Minister gave very positive response and concern because he felt the police must be equipped with new assets to achieve better performance.
"The concern of the Prime Minister was not only limited to empowering the unit's assets but also upgrading all the contingent and district police headquarters especially the police barracks nationwide," he added.
He said that for example, in a police barracks, when a large allocation was given to upgrade the barracks from two units to become only one unit, each barracks would have three bedrooms and at least two bathrooms.
Ahmad Zahid hoped that all plans to upgrade the barracks could be implemented immediately, when all the major problems including financing could be resolved.
The Deputy Prime Minister also hoped to get the cooperation of everyone including community leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and all members of the community to curb criminal activities in the country, in line with the slogan of the 211th Police Day, "The Police and Community Are Inseparable" (Polis dan Masyarakat Berpisah Tiada).
"I am confident that through the involvement of the members of the community and community leaders, the crime rate will certainly become a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) that can be achieved and God willing (InsyaAllah) the PDRM will become the best police unit not only in the Asean region but also in Asia," he said.
The construction of the new Kota Star District Police Headquarters building costing RM46.2 million began on Oct 31, 2014 and was ready by Nov 31 last year.
It began operations on Feb 1 with a total strength of 775 members and officers headed by Kota Star OCPD, ACP Mohd Rozi Jidin. — Bernama