PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry plans to place around 9,000 policemen who lack accommodation in unoccupied quarters owned by the Education Ministry (MoE).
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said discussions were ongoing with MoE to implement the plan by the first quarter of next year.
"At the cabinet meeting, we were informed that MoE has 17,000 teachers' quarters that are unoccupied. On the police side, there are about 9,000 men still without sufficient quarters.
"So 9,000 policemen without quarters and 17,000 empty quarters belonging to MoE — what is the right course of action? The right action is to discuss with MoE and see if the unoccupied quarters can be made available to policemen," he said at the Home Ministry's monthly assembly here today.
Last month, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, in a written parliamentary reply, said MoE had offered other government agencies the chance to occupy its empty quarters.
Saifuddin said his ministry would seek funds to renovate the quarters to make them comfortable for policemen and their families.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin in his speech at the assembly said the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) should continuously enhance the competency of its personnel and strengthen its working relationships and networks with similar agencies in other countries.
He said currently, this was being done well with nations such as Turkiye, the United States, and Asean countries, adding that MMEA has a good reputation overseas.
The ministry, he said, would also continue supporting MMEA in terms of asset capability as this is critical due to the highly complex and diverse nature of the agency's duties.
"When I assumed office two years ago, one of my earliest visits was to Pulau Indah to assess the progress of ships under the MMEA. At that time, we secured an injection of RM150 million from the Finance Ministry, and today, we are pleased to have completed one (offshore patrol) vessel, KM Tun Fatimah, which is now operational in Sarawak.
"I have also requested that the (ministry) secretary-general focus on the way forward for the status of the two remaining vessels (in the class, which are yet to be named)," he said.
He added that the MMEA would receive four helicopters within the next two years, following the finalisation by the Procurement Board.
Saifuddin said Malaysia had agreed to accept an offer from the US for one Carter-class ship which required an additional investment of approximately US$10 million to transform the vessel for operational use here.
"This approach differs from that of KM Arau and KM Pekan, the two ships received from Japan, which are currently used for key MMEA missions.
"The process for the US ship is in its final stages, and we have agreed to accept the offer as it comes with a lower financial implication compared to building a new ship, which would cost hundreds of millions.
"In summary, these initiatives include enhancing helicopter capabilities within two years, continuing the construction of OPVs, completing the two pending vessels, and accepting the US offer of a ship in the near future. All of these are part of our efforts to boost the MMEA's asset capacity," he said.