KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has announced that body-worn cameras (BWCs) will be provided to policemen in the first quarter of 2025. The Home Minister revealed in a parliamentary written reply on October 26 that the government has approved a RM30mil allocation for the procurement of BWCs under the 12th Malaysia Plan in 2021. The purchase of the cameras will be done through an open tender process, with a project duration of 24 months. The procurement process is currently underway, and a meeting of the Home Ministry’s Procurement Board is scheduled for November 2023. It is anticipated that a Letter of Award (LOA) will be issued in December 2023.
According to Saifuddin, “The police is expected to fully deploy the BWCs in the first quarter of 2025, after taking into account the entire supply process including testing, site visits, training and commissioning which is expected to go on from January 2024 to December 2024.” This response was given in reply to a question by Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) regarding the redesign of the police uniform to make it more suitable for hot and humid weather, as well as the reason behind the delayed implementation of BWCs.
During a previous announcement on February 21, Saifuddin mentioned that each of the 7,648 body cameras that will be fitted on police personnel is estimated to cost between RM2,000 and RM2,500. These cameras will be deployed in 157 district police headquarters across the country.
