CIVIL DEFENCE READY TO REPLACE FOREIGN GUARDS

KUALA TERENGGANU (Malaysia), Dec 17 (Bernama) -- Civil Defence Department
(JPAM) members are ready to replace foreigners as security guards to tackle the
current shortage in the sector.

As the JPAM and the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) had trained volunteers,
department director-general Abdul Halim Abdul Hamid said there was no reason for
the country to rely on foreign security guards, especially those from Nepal.

"We held several discussions and meetings with the Security Services
Association of Malaysia. At the end of the talks, they (association) agreed to
take JPAM and Rela members to become security guards," he said.

Abdul Halim was commenting on Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmood Adam's
proposal that the government use over a million JPAM and Rela members to replace
foreign security guards.

He was speaking to reporters after closing the National Level Civil Defence
Assembly 2009 at the Gong Badak Indoor Stadium in this capital of Malaysia's
east coast state of Terengganu Thursday.

Currently, JPAM has about 80,000 members which will increase to 100,000
by year-end. Rela has a million trained and highly-disciplined personnel.

On Nepalese security guards, Abdul Halim said that while private companies
preferred to hire them, JPAM and Rela members could give them a run for the
money.

"These companies need not give intensive training to JPAM and Rela members
as they are skilled.

"We believe that JPAM personnel who do not have permanent jobs will do their
best as they will want to get a fixed salary from the employers," he said.

However, he reasoned, the companies should consider offering more attractive
salaries to local workers to commensurate the work they did.
-- BERNAMA