Penang executive councillor for Islamic affairs Abdul Malik Kassim said there is no need to arm religious officers with firearms during their raids.

NONE “It is not only dangerous for them, but there are already so many firearms around,” said Malik ( right ) when met during a Penang Development Corporation event today.

“If we start arming them with firearms, what about other enforcement officers like those from the Penang and Seberang Perai Municipal Councils?” he added.

“Even with firearms, there are incidents where the police or those who are armed are either killed or incapacitated like losing their limbs,” he stressed.

Abdul Malik said it was better for the religious officers to be accompanied by the police when on their controversial raids.

“For small raids like khalwat (close proximity), there is no need to ask for police assistance,” he quipped.

Abdul Malik said the decision was reached after a recent meeting of the state executive council.

He was responding to news reports over the police’s preparedness to consider applications for firearms for enforcement officers, including from the religious departments, who are involved in critical and high-risk jobs.

Royal Malaysian Police Crime Prevention and Eradication Department director Ayub Yaakob said their application would not be rejected if there was a need for then to be equipped with firearms.

Ayub said this in response to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom, who first made the suggestion.

Jamil said this following the murder of Pahang Islamic Religious Department enforcement head Ahmad Raffli Abdul Malik, 49, who was shot dead at his house in Indera Mahkota 2, on Sunday.