Home Ministry to improve safety of all assets

IPOH: Safety aspects of all agency assets under the purview of the Home Ministry will be improved, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasu­tion Ismail (pic).

The Home ­Min­is­ter said it would be the minis­try’s priority and ­commitment to en­han­ce all assets’ safety, not just the police’s.

“It is our com­mit­ment to imp­rove all assets, not just the police’s, but all agen­cies under the ministry.

“It will be a continuous effort,” he said in a press conference after visiting the family of the late L/Kpl Damarrulan Abdul Latif at the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) quarters here yesterday.

“We will leave it to the experts, and it is our commitment to do it continuously,” he added.

L/Kpl Damarrulan was among nine FRU personnel who were killed in an accident on Tuesday.

Eight died at the scene, while one succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at Teluk Intan Hospital.

When asked whether the imp­rovement of assets would include installing seat belts in a similar truck that was involved in the accident, Saifuddin Nasution said the vehicle involved was a combat vehicle.

“There are pros and cons. In such a vehicle, one or two seconds are crucial when it is mobilised for a mission,” he said.

“Imagine any situation where it takes two to three seconds to rem­ove the seatbelts; this delay could lead to a compromise,” he added.

Saifuddin Nasution also said that although the truck involved in the accident was commissioned in 1997 and is relatively old, it was still roadworthy.

“There were no issues with its maintenance.

“It is still too early to tell whether the accident was due to human error involving the lorry driver... We will let the inves­tigating team do its job,” he said.

Saifuddin Nasution also said a team of counsellors would be mobilised to help grieving family members.

“In these challenging times, we asked them to have patience, and I understand they are still in shock and traumatised by the incident.

“We have a team of counsellors to provide services to the affected families so they can get through this episode.

“We cannot underestimate the shock they are experiencing,” he said, adding that monetary aid for funeral costs will also be distributed to the victims’ families.

“Just yesterday, their loved ones were with them, and today they are not,” he added.