PUTRAJAYA, Sept 30 — A total of 80 per cent of the 64,000 units of Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) quarters throughout the country are fit for occupation, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Speaking at the Home Ministry’s (KDN) Monthly Assembly here today, he said that of the total, only 15 per cent of the PDRM housing units are still not ready.

"The balance of the units will be fit for occupation with a little improvement. Therefore, the units that are not ready and those that need minor repairs will be given priority,” he said.

Saifuddin Nasution said the ministry will give top priority to the issue of housing and the welfare of PDRM personnel because the force is the largest enforcement agency in the country responsible for safeguarding the security and sovereignty of the country.

For that purpose, he said more targeted planning is needed by the Home Ministry to ensure that the desire can be achieved.

"Although the allocation is quite insufficient to deal with all issues, especially in high-cost areas such as in Kuching, Sarawak, but this (quarters) is important, because there (Kuching), there are senior police officers, junior police officers, and also other members who have to rent, it is a burden,” he said.

Recently, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain was reported to have said that 4,612 PDRM housing units have been renovated in 465 projects involving a total of RM 112.6 million, for upgrading works including repairing pipes, wiring and extending the housing units for comfort of quarters dweller.

The repair is using the allocations that have been announced by the government in the 2023 Budget to upgrade facilities of PDRM.

In Budget 2023, the government announced an allocation of more than RM500 million to maintain the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Family Home and renovate residential quarters and institutions under the KDN including PDRM. — Bernama