PETALING JAYA: Security experts are calling for more funding to bolster technology-based enforcement, such as improving cyber forensics teams and better use of artificial intelligence for policing.
Retired Senior Police Officers Association president Datuk Meor Chek Hussien Mahayuddin said there must be added emphasis placed on technologies that can aid policing, such as additional drones and more AI integration.
“It can help them a lot as their areas of operations are not as wide as other agencies. This can also help in terms of better manpower efficiency.
“For the traffic police, I believe added usage of AI, especially in cameras, will be a boost. China is a good example of where such a system is being utilised.”
The recent increase of seized drugs also necessitates the bolstering of digital forensic capabilities, said Meor.
“The (current) digital forensic drug analysis capabilities are not enough with the amount of drugs being seized and confiscated getting larger and larger.”
Another area that should not be neglected, he said, is the police’s logistics departments.
“These are the backbones of the police force. Sometimes, it’s hard for them to acquire the tools that they need. The delivery system must also be improved.”
Border security, said Meor, is another area that must be addressed in Budget 2027.
Meor also called for an increase in the base pay for police constables, adding that with the current cost of living, it is about time.
Criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy agreed that more attention should be paid to digital forensics and AI.
“For the police, my first priority would be the establishment of an AI-enabled police command and intelligence centre.
“Crime data, intelligence reports, CCTV information, financial intelligence and digital evidence should be analysed collectively to identify emerging crime patterns, organised criminal networks and potential threats.
“Secondly, the police need substantially greater investment in cybercrime, digital forensics, cryptocurrency tracing and financial investigation capabilities.”
This is because online scams, ransomware, identity theft and digitally facilitated organised crime are no longer specialised peripheral problems but are becoming central components of modern crime, he pointed out.
“We need specialist officers who understand technology as well as criminal behaviour,” he said, calling for the accelerated implementation of body-worn cameras for frontline police units.
“Our border agencies require stronger biometric and document-verification capabilities, risk-based passenger and traveller assessment, advanced surveillance and better intelligence analysis.
“Most importantly, Budget 2027 should support an integrated national border-security intelligence platform, allowing agencies, including the Immigration Department, to share and analyse information lawfully and rapidly.
“Criminal organisations do not respect institutional boundaries, so enforcement agencies cannot afford to operate in institutional silos,” he said.
Sundramoorthy also urged for better investment in specialist recruitment as all security agencies require highly skilled personnel in cyber-related operations.
“We should ask not only how much money is allocated but whether the investment actually reduces crime, improves detection and investigation, disrupts criminal networks, protects victims and increases public confidence.
“Our enforcement agencies must not be expected to fight 21st-century crime with 20th-century tools.”
