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Army to help maintain order if need arises |
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Thursday, 03 July 2008 09:42am |
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©The
Star (Used by permission)
KUALA LUMPUR: The armed forces will be called in to assist police in maintaining
public order if the security situation of the country warrants it, said
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.
“However, this will only be done after consultation with the Home Affairs and
Defence Ministers,” he told reporters after witnessing the launch of the
inaugural six-day joint police-armed forces exercise at the Royal Malaysian
Police Senior Officers College in Cheras yesterday.
Musa said it was the responsibility of both the police and armed forces to
ensure that peace and security prevailed in the country at all times.
He said one of the reasons why the police and armed forces held the joint
exercise was to ensure they were prepared for the situation, following recent
challenges faced by law enforcement agencies here.
“The exercise is also to enhance the cooperation between the police and the
army, besides helping improve coordination, logistics and communication between
the two forces,” he added.
Army chief Jen Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Zainal said the exercise would be held in
two phases to better enhance implementation during a national
security-threatening scenario.
“The first phase will involve discussions and, when the time is right, proceed
to deployment,” he said, adding that the idea was first mooted about two years
ago.
Musa, when asked about the police report made by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim against him and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail,
refused to comment and said that it was under investigation.
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