KANGAR, Nov 1 — The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is planning to establish several forward operation bases (FOBs) to enhance its air operations, to combat cross-border crime in the country.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department (KDNKA) director Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali said the plan will be submitted to the higher authorities for consideration, including the deployment of new light aircraft for the purpose.

"...I am in the process of planning to establish a forward operation base for air operations in Perlis, Kelantan and Johor; then followed by Sabah and Sarawak. If we have this forward operation base in Perlis, we can easily cover Kedah and Penang.

"(In) Johor, we can cover Melaka (and nearby states); in Sarawak maybe I will put the base in Bintulu, while in Sabah, maybe in Lahad Datu. In Perlis I want to ask Datuk Muhammad (the new Perlis police chief) to identify a location for us to place this forward operation base,” he said.

Hazani said this at a press conference, after witnessing the handover of duties ceremony to the new Perlis police chief, Datuk Muhammad Abdul Halim, at the state contingent police headquarters (IPK) here today.

Hazani said that the Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) is the appropriate aircraft to be used to monitor the country’s borders.

He said, however, the use of drones will continue in the surveillance of the country’s borders, while being enhanced with an air operations team to strengthen the border security forces.

Meanwhile, Muhammad said one of his focuses is to ensure that the border area between Perlis and neighbouring Thailand will be more tightly controlled, to improve the security level.

"This will be done in collaboration with the GOF (General Operations Force) and other agencies operating at the border,” said Perlis-born Muhammad, who also expressed a commitment to provide his patriotic best in duty to his home state.

Muhammad is replacing Datuk Surina Saad, who retired on September 25. — Bernama