SANDAKAN: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) Sabah is fully prepared to face any eventuality ahead of the coming state election, although the full implementation is still awaiting further information from the Election Commission (EC).
State Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said preparations had been drawn up based on past experience and previous implementations.
“In terms of election preparedness, so far we have planned according to the preparations carried out during previous elections.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“However, we are still awaiting discussions with the EC regarding the increase in the number of voters in Sabah,” he said.
He noted that the number of voters would determine the overall requirements, including the number of personnel and deployment of PDRM officers throughout the state.
Commenting on the current security situation, Jauteh assured that Sabah remains in a good state of security.
“In facing this election, we will provide the best deployment to ensure public safety, not only in daily life but also when people go out and return from fulfilling their duty as voters,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the crime rate in the state had shown an overall decline.
“There have been no major cases causing public concern or unrest at this time,” he added.
However, he acknowledged that drug-related cases remain a major challenge.
“With the appointment of a new Head of the Narcotics Department, we have increased the number of arrests, targeting not only users but also drug dealers,” he said, while reaffirming PDRM’s continued commitment to combating narcotics crime.
Jauteh spoke to the media after attending the Handover Ceremony for the Sandakan District Police Chief and Police Family Association (Perkep) Chairperson at the Sandakan District Police Headquarters on Monday.