SENATE Passing a Bahasa Malaysia course is among the conditions which will be enforced for foreigners working as security guards next year, as a move to boost the national security industry.

Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said those who failed would not be considered for a job as a security guard.

The improvement was based on an input from a study, which also involved the implementation of a new mechanism to audit all local and foreign security guards in the country, he said in the Dewan Negara in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Senator Boon Som Inong who wanted to know the government’s move to overcome communication problems with foreign security guards in numerous sectors in the country.

There are about 300,000 local and foreign guards in the country.

Replying to another supplementary question from Senator Khairiah Mohamed on the background checks for security guards, Wan Junaidi said a new system, the Agency Link Up System, was implemented recently.

“We can find the individual’s name, photograph, fingerprints and all his particulars through the system. Otherwise, it means the security guard is not a citizen or using false particulars,” he said.

Replying to the original question from Khairiah on the giving of firearm licences, Wan Junaidi said: “A total of 138 security companies were given licences for pistols (806) and pumpguns (10,712).

- Bernama