There is a huge market and a big future for would-be private investigators, and also South-East Asia and this is according to former top police officers and security experts.
Sharifah Zanariah Syed Mahamood, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police and now a security company expert, said that the private investigation and detective profession is a very admirable job and it is growing fast in this region and will be just as successful as seen in Europe and the United States.
"It is a very tough job but also very well-respected, and I believe it is a very good job that pays well. I'm confident that it will continue to grow in Malaysia and also the South-East Asia region," said Sharifah.
In that sense, her company Multi Talent is strengthening its commitment to workforce development through the Elevate HRDCorp 2026 programme, a professional training initiative designed to enhance participants’ skills, knowledge and preparedness through practical and experience-based learning.
Held over four days, the training programme focused on developing practical competencies in areas including investigation, security, situational management and the handling of critical incidents.
The programme’s closing ceremony and certificate presentation were held at Perdana Hotel Kuala Lumpur City Centre, with Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Mazlan Lazim, the former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, as the Guest of Honour.
The event also marked the launch of “Berfikir Seperti Penyiasat”, a book co-authored by Sharifah, who is also the Chairman of Multi Talent. Besides Sharifah, the other writers of the book are Ravin Krishnan, Suresh Muniandy and Noorul Huda Abdul Jabar, all former officials who had served in the Royal Malaysian police.
Ravin, Suresh and Noorul also agreed that the book is aimed at young talents who are interested in the security profession, whether as police officers or as private investigators.
"The book serves as a platform for sharing knowledge and experience, highlighting systematic thinking, observation, analysis and information assessment. These approaches are intended to be applicable across a range of professional situations as well as everyday life," said Suresh.
On the other hand, Ravid said that the Elevate programme reflected Multi Talent’s commitment to providing a practical, relevant and continuous platform for workforce skills development.
“We hope the Elevate programme can grow into a competency development platform that benefits more workers and organisations. The need for a skilled workforce that is prepared and capable of responding professionally is increasingly important in today’s challenging work environment,” he said.
Sharifah then added: "The human capital development required learning approaches that were aligned with current needs, while providing participants with exposure to experiences and situations that could strengthen their confidence and preparedness."
Multi Talent currently has more than six training programmes registered with HRD Corp, while another 10 new training programmes are in the process of being registered. These programmes cover areas including security, occupational safety and health, and crisis management.
The initiative forms part of the company’s plans to expand its range of professional training programmes in line with the evolving needs of organisations and industries.
Through the Elevate HRDCorp programme, Multi Talent aims to establish continuous training initiatives as a platform for competency development, helping workers strengthen their knowledge, skills and readiness to respond to different situations.
The company’s training programmes emphasise a blended approach combining theory, experience sharing, demonstrations and scenario-based exercises to help participants understand how specific skills can be applied in real workplace environments.
A key strength of Multi Talent’s training programmes is its experienced pool of trainers, including individuals with decades of service and professional experience within the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
Their expertise covers areas such as investigation, security, operational management and special operations, including trainers with previous experience in the Special Actions Unit (UTK).
In addition to expanding its training programmes for organisations and industries, Multi Talent is also exploring potential collaboration with MAPA to create opportunities for the company to become one of the training providers for auxiliary police personnel.
The proposed collaboration is expected to contribute towards more structured and relevant training aimed at enhancing the knowledge, skills and professionalism of auxiliary police personnel.
Multi Talent believes workforce development must be carried out continuously in response to changes in the working environment and emerging challenges.
Through the Elevate HRDCorp programme and various training initiatives in the pipeline, the company aims to play a role in developing a more skilled, prepared and professional workforce capable of responding effectively to a wide range of situations.
