On August 13, 2024, Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan, Executive Director of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat (AS), led a courtesy visit to DCP Dato' Pahlawan Shazeli bin Dato’ Kahar, Commandant of the Royal Malaysia Police College (RMPC) in Kuala Lumpur. This visit was part of a series of courtesy calls initiated by Executive Director Vinluan since assuming his position on January 1, 2024. These visits, encouraged by RMP’s Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Razarudin bin Husain, aim to strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration, and improve communication between AS and various departments within the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP).
The ASEANAPOL delegation included Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Bakri bin Zainal Abidin, Director for Police Services; Police Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Ngoc, Director for Plans and Programmes; Superintendent Azrul Hisham bin Mohd Shaffei, Head of Administrative and Technical Staff; DSP Suresh Subramaniam, Plans and Programmes Officer I; ASP Engku Nurul ‘Aini Engku Malek, Plans and Programmes Officer II; and ASP Nithia Perumal, Police and Services Officer II. The primary purpose of the visit was to discuss strategic collaboration on capacity-building training (CBT) and to develop the bilateral relationship between ASEANAPOL and RMPC.
During the meeting, Executive Director Vinluan highlighted a webinar hosted by AS on July 30, 2024, featuring TikTok representatives, which focused on the platform's support for law enforcement and the challenges citizens face in reporting issues such as cyberbullying and scams. AS is considering extending similar discussions to other social media platforms like Meta. Additionally, AS expressed interest in collaborating with RMPC on future webinars, particularly if the college possesses expertise in technology-related crimes. The Commandant of RMPC emphasized the college's goal of becoming a centre of excellence for the ASEAN region and expressed gratitude for the visit, which opens opportunities for further collaboration. RMPC plans to invite AS to deliver lectures during the upcoming International Narcotics Enforcement Course, scheduled for August 19-23, 2024, and to participate in other key training programs such as the International Senior Police Officers’ Command Course Series.
The Director for Plans and Programmes at AS provided updates on their collaboration with 11 Dialogue Partners and 12 Observers. Last year, AS organized 30 in-person and 14 virtual training sessions, engaging approximately 620 police officers from 10 countries. AS has focused on 10 core crime areas, including drug trafficking and human trafficking, analyzing data to assess regional crime trends and identify law enforcement gaps. Looking forward, AS plans to increase in-person training sessions to approximately 50 in 2024, supported by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and public-private partnerships with organizations like Mastercard and TikTok. AS also formalized collaboration with Raksha Rashtria University (RRU) in India, which offers academic and operational training. These efforts aim to equip police officers with the necessary knowledge and skills for effective joint operations in Southeast Asia.
The courtesy visit concluded successfully, with both parties expressing a strong commitment to ongoing collaboration. Also present at the meeting were SAC Ahmad Asmadi bin Abd Hashim, Head of Crisis and Disaster, Crime Prevention and Traffic Studies Centre; SAC Risikin bin Satiman, Head of Science Management Studies Centre; ACP Lotfi Ameer bin Muhammad, ACP Investigation and Prosecution Studies Centre; Superintendent Nor Hafizah binti Nor Hamid, Adjutant; and DSP Chay Hu Yeen, Head of Administration.
“Together We Keep This Region Safe"