Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution says police may soon utilize AI to prepare initial drafts of investigation papers while maintaining human oversight.
PUTRAJAYA: Police could soon use artificial intelligence (AI) to prepare initial drafts of investigation papers, potentially helping officers process some of the 400,000 reports lodged by the public each month.
However, investigating officers would remain fully responsible for verifying the papers before submitting them to deputy public prosecutors, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
“What does using AI technology mean in preparing an investigation paper? It means producing its first draft.
“However, before it is submitted to a deputy public prosecutor, the investigating officer, who holds the rank of inspector, remains responsible for carrying out the verification,” he said after the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly yesterday.
This was among the practical uses he wanted agencies under the ministry to explore as they moved beyond setting policy direction towards integrating AI into their core duties.
The ministry had spent three years laying the groundwork for AI adoption, while a survey found that 75% of its personnel were ready to embrace the technology, acquire the necessary skills and use it in their work.
“We want AI applications that increase productivity and efficiency, speed up service delivery and produce savings. Ultimately, the impact must be felt by the public,” he said.
The ministry also launched its AI Digital Human initiative, a public-facing app designed to make interactions with the ministry simpler and more user-friendly.
At the same assembly, Saifuddin announced that about 1,300 university students serving under Rela Siswa-Siswi (Relasis) would receive an allowance for the first time since the volunteer unit was established in 2017.
The students will receive RM8 an hour during training, with the initiative expected to cost about RM400,000.
“There are about 1,300 of them now. At RM8 an hour, I do not think the financial implication will exceed RM500,000. It should be around RM400,000,” he said.
Saifuddin instructed the Rela director-general to include the expenditure in the department’s next budget projection, although no commencement date was announced.
Relasis members undergo structured training while studying but do not perform the same field duties as regular Rela personnel.
“We hope this will provide strong encouragement for our students to join Relasis at universities.”
Saifuddin also said the Finance Ministry had agreed in principle to consider raising the RM8 hourly allowance for regular Rela members following a budget dialogue last week.
Rela has between 135,000 and 140,000 members nationwide, of whom about 35,000 to 40,000 can be deployed to guard restricted areas, manage traffic and perform other duties.
“At RM8 an hour, working eight hours a day for 24 days produces only RM1,536. It does not even reach the RM1,700 minimum wage,” he said.
Saifuddin instructed the ministry’s secretary-general and management team to negotiate a reasonable new rate for implementation in the next financial year.
He said immediately matching the RM12 to RM13 hourly rate offered by the private security industry could have substantial financial implications.
