Bodycams are not a new idea for law enforcement because back in 2018, the Malaysian Auxiliary Police had adopted bodycams with facial recognition through the YITU Technology collaboration.
What is rather muddy is whether the partnership is still going on or not. Going back even further back to 2015, PDRM was testing Axon bodycams suggesting that the idea has been mulled over for a long time.
Recently, Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin in a written reply to Kepong MP, Lim Lip Eng said PDRM is in talks to procure bodycams for their officers. Hamzah then added that they are working out the specific models for the open tender.
The process to equip officers with bodycams has been going on since 2019 with Hamzah saying device procurement has been in the works since last year.
A total 2040 units of bodycams will be purchased for the 84 locations which include police stations, district headquarters, contingent headquarters and Bukit Aman.
The cameras have AI technology and live stream capabilities and will be certified by SIRIM.
Former Prime Minister Tan Sri Datuk Mahiaddin Yassin announced in March that the government had allocated a RM30 million budget for the procurement of bodycams and former Inspector-General Abdul Hamid Bador added that they will start using them by September or November of this year.
The reason why PDRM are looking to implement bodycams is to increase confidence towards the police and lower the chances of wrongdoings from them and civilians.
