Auxiliary Police - Malaysia

Malaysia

In Malaysia, auxiliary police refers to sworn security police officers serving in autonomous government agencies and key government-linked companies/entities such as Petroleum Nasional Berhad (Petronas), the Malaysian Federal Reserve Bank (Bank Negara), the National Anti-Drug Agency (Agensi Anti-Dadah Kebangsaan - AADK), the Federal Land Development Agency (FELDA) and the Inland Revenue Board (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri); and other institutions with semi-governmental interests. Such institutions include the National Savings Bank (Bank Simpanan Nasional - BSN), Malayan Railways Limited (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad - KTMB), Pos Malaysia Holdings Berhad (the national postal service), Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (the largest Malaysian airport operator), the North-South Highway Project (Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan - PLUS), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (the national power service) and other similar strategic organizations.

Most of these organizations have already been privatized, but are allowed to maintain an auxiliary police unit. Under special circumstances, auxiliary police units have also been established by private companies with no government interests at all such as the force maintained by Resorts World Berhad (RWB), the company that operates the popular resort and casino at Genting Highlands. At present, there are 89 government agencies and private companies authorized to operate their own auxiliary police units, with a total strength of 14,800 personnel.

They are not attached per se to the Royal Malaysian Police, but are granted some police powers such as the power to carry out minor investigations or to make arrests within their area of jurisdiction. However, they are totally autonomous in matters related to the security of their company's premises and facilities. Some forces are also conferred the authority to issue traffic summonses (that are paid to the Federal Government, not the issuing organization) for offences committed on their area of jurisdiction. While Malaysian auxiliary police officers are empowered to carry firearms, for this purpose they are subject to the same application and approval procedures as any other private company instead of being treated as part of the Royal Malaysian Police.

It was announced in May 2010 that auxiliary police units will be allowed to enforce federal laws outside of their designated company/agency premises or areas, but the extent of this authority is yet to be determined. In his speech to officiate the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA)'s Auxiliary Police Firearms Range in Seremban, the Malaysian Deputy Home Minister, Abu Seman Yusop, said that auxiliary police officers "are also empowered to carry out their duties outside the workplace" in order to "help reduce crime".

Malaysian auxiliary police uniforms have been traditionally different from those of the regular police, but a consolidation exercise by the Management Department of the Royal Malaysian Police Federal Headquarters (Bukit Aman) in 2004 has since authorised the use of regular police dress, insignia and other paraphernalia for sworn auxiliary police officers. The only differences are the unit patches with company logo, e.g. Polis Bantuan Petronas (worn by auxiliary police officers only, sewn on the left sleeve), the shoulder title (which says "Polis Bantuan" or Auxiliary Police, instead of "Polis Diraja" or Royal Police) and the service number (worn by junior police officers of Sergeant Major rank and below, just above the right breast pocket; auxiliary police numbers begin with the letters 'PB' whereas regular officers numbers do not contain any letters.)

Under Malaysian law, auxiliary police officers are obliged to serve voluntarily and are therefore not paid by the Government. As such, they are designated full-time employees of the departments or corporations they serve and are remunerated on a different scale than regular police officers.

Under the Police Act of 1967 (Revised 1988) (Act 344), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), with the consent of the Minister in charge of police affairs and the King, may appoint any person to hold honorary auxiliary police ranks to the level of Superintendent of Police and below, and to establish their areas of jurisdiction.

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