The bill was approved by a majority voice vote after being debated by 14 MPs from both the government and opposition blocs, Bernama reported.

The amendments to the Private Agencies Act 1971 (Act 27) seek to strengthen the regulation of private agencies conducting security control and private investigation activities in the country.

Deputy home minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said private agencies are required to prioritise the hiring of local security guards over foreign workers.

He said that as of today, there are 118,196 unarmed security guards, 4,826 armed security guards, 1,247 personal bodyguards, 36 private investigators and 5,948 depot security guards registered nationwide.

“ Agencies must prioritise hiring Malaysians before employing foreigners.

“The recruitment of foreign workers will only be permitted if there is a shortage of local manpower,” he said when winding up the debate on the bill.

He added that the ratio for hiring local to foreign security guards is set at 2:1 to safeguard employment opportunities for Malaysians.

Shamsul said these agencies provided services to protect the safety of individuals or property, which differs from the powers vested in the police.

“Section 12 of the Act grants the police authority to enter and search the premises of private agencies suspected of committing offences,” he said.

Earlier, when tabling the bill for its second reading, Shamsul said Act 27 had never been amended since it came into force, and the proposed amendments were essential to ensure its continued relevance in meeting current industry needs.