MELAKA: The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has allocated RM67 million to replace 425 units of new patrol vehicles (MPVs) involving Honda Civic 1.8S and Proton X70 models in stages until mid-September.
Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department (JPJKK) director Datuk Zainal Abidin Kasim said 250 units were Honda Civic while 175 units were Proton X70 which would be used in patrol duties to replace the old Proton Waja MPV model which has exceeded the eight-year use limit.
He said PDRM was currently in the Proof Of Concept (POC) stage to ensure that the Proton X70 was suitable for use in police deployment involving various aspects including defensive driving.
"Currently, the technical team at the Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department is conducting inspections for each vehicle received before being handed over to all contingents in stages.
"On each vehicle, we do not want anything that does not meet or does not comply with the technical specifications required by JPJKK to do patrol work," he told reporters after the MPV Handover Ceremony at the Melaka Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK) here today.
During the ceremony, 14 Honda Civic MPVs were handed over to the Melaka IPK and the event was also attended by the police chief, Datuk Mat Kasim Karim.
Commenting further, Zainal Abidin said the new MPVs, which were received via rental through a concession with Syarikat Spanco Sdn Bhd, were equipped with RMPNeT communication equipment, dashboard cameras and mobile digital video recorders as well as special features including having their own vehicle code.
He said the vehicle would also be equipped with a bulletproof jacket for the use of members in the event of an incident involving firearms.
Meanwhile, he said effort to obtain 1,000 units of non-lethal weapons for the use of officers and members, especially handling incidents of aggressive cases or amuk was in the process of procurement. – Bernama