A crucial aspect of the review should be a fresh look at the deployment of armoury officers, said JK Associates principal consultant Khen Han Ming.
His call follows a report that 26 shotguns belonging to the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) went missing early this month.
According to Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, 11 of the missing guns have been found and police have arrested 12 people in the northern part of the peninsula, including a Rela member suspected to be involved in the sale of firearms.
Khalid said the search for the other 15 guns would continue and police would be making more arrests.
Khen said the incident raised questions on the actual number of firearms stolen or lost over the years as well as the integrity of officers in charge of armouries.
Corruption could be a factor, he told FMT, but added that it was also possible that the armoury officers had become complacent. “When armoury department officers are on the job for too long, complacency can become an issue.”
He said the authorities must find out how, when and from where the shotguns were stolen. He noted that the loss was discovered only during an audit by the enforcement unit of Inspector-General of Police Secretariat.
“The authorities must review existing gaps in policies and procedures which are obsolete and increase the frequency of armoury inspections and address discrepancies.”
He said one could not discount the possibility of missing firearms being used in crime or acts of terrorism.
“This is evident in gun violence cases in the United States, where thousands of firearms are reported missing every year.
“In Malaysia, gun violence has also occurred with the use of stolen or illegally purchased weapons or guns for hire from the black market.”