The Attorney-General's Chamber today unveiled a guideline on the use of firearms by armed officers on duties from enforcement agencies.

Dubbed "Firearms Usage Guideline (On-duty) 2017", the new guideline was launched by attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali after eight months of preparation.

Apandi said the new guideline would complement the guidelines of those agencies which already have their own guidelines.

"The (new) guideline will complement these existing guidelines (or standard operating procedure). For those (agencies) which do not have one, this (new one) will be their only (guideline)," he said.

In his speech, Apandi said the move to draft the guideline was initiated after a senior customs officer in Kelantan was killed when she was rammed by a four-wheel vehicle driven by a "tonto" last October.

"It struck me that one of the causes of the incident was the lack of exposure and knowledge on the use of firearms among enforcers on duty," he said.

Apandi, who had visited the deceased's family in Kelantan, said he had asked the State Customs Department for a copy of written procedure on firearms.

He then found out that the relevant document on firearms only stated how the firearms are to be kept.

"The document only emphasised the way to keep the gun to prevent violation of the Firearms Act. There is no mention at all of its use on the ground," he said.

The police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Customs Department, Home Ministry, Prison Department were among the 11 enforcement agencies which received the booklets on the new guideline from Apandi.

The copy of guideline, however, was not available to the media.

Apandi said the country's first firearms guideline would take immediate effect.

"The new guideline is to tell them (enforcers) under what circumstances a firearm can be used," he told reporters later when attending an AGC's Hari Raya Aidifitri event.

"They can only use the firearms when they feel that their life is being threatened, which should be their main consideration," he said, adding that the enforcers should issue a warning before firing.

When asked if it is compulsory for enforcement agencies to observe the guideline, he said the officers risked being charged in court if they failed to give proper consideration before using their firearms.

"It is better for them to follow, otherwise if you use a firearm without proper consideration, you can be charged (in court) even if you are licensed to carry a firearm.

"You cannot simply discharge your firearm, it must be done according to the law," he said.

Asked if the guideline could prevent a similar tragedy like that of 14-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah who was gunned down by police in a car chase in April 2010, he said this (guideline) could prevent many things from happening.

"It will prevent so many things. I cannot foresee... You are thinking of the victim (Aminulrasyid); I am thinking more of the enforcement officers who got killed in the line of duty because they hesitated to use their firearms," he said.

"It is good for everybody, good for the enforcement agencies and also good for the public," he added.

On another matter, Apandi appeared reluctant to entertain questions related to the purchase of two Scorpene submarines by Malaysia from France. French investigators have indicted two key figures with corruption over alleged kickbacks from the 2002 sale of the two submarines.

"I don't know. You are the only one questioning it," Apandi said curtly.

An investigation into the submarine deal was launched in 2010 after human rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) filed a complaint in France in November 2009.

The investigation was to determine if Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had received kickbacks via his former close associate, Abdul Razak Baginda, for a contract to supply the two Scorpene submarines to Malaysia.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang had questioned if Najib is prepared to be investigated over the Scorpene deal.

Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif, who appeared at the same event with Apandi in Putrajaya today, kept mum on his appointment as the additional judge of the Federal Court, which sparked constitutional concerns.

"You ask the AG (about this)," he said when asked to comment on the Bar Council's concern over his appointment.

On July 7, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issued a statement that Raus would continue to hold the post of chief justice for another three years, beginning Aug 4.

Before the appointment, former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad had argued that a further extension to the tenure of Raus after 66 years and six months would be unconstitutional.

The Malaysian Bar described the appointments as "blatantly unconstitutional" and announced that it would hold an emergency meeting on the matter.