POLICE AVOID “INVOLVING” THEMSELVES WITH THE SUSPECTS
The shooting sparked a nationwide manhunt and tighter surveillance at Malaysia’s borders and states.
Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said police refrained from “engaging” the suspect at KLIA to avoid endangering public safety.
The area where the suspect opened fire was crowded and if he had been involved, it could have led to a more serious incident, he said.
“It is better to let the suspect leave the area and maintain public safety.
“If we arrest him, there will definitely be a shootout. “Among the many people there, there were children,” he said when asked why the police did not immediately arrest the suspect.
Police said the suspect had a personal grudge against his wife and they were in the process of divorcing.
Hussein said the police had recorded the statements of 11 witnesses, including the suspect’s wife, police and airport security officers.
“We will interview several more people, including (the wife’s) business partners,” he added.
STRENGTHENED SECURITY MEASURES
At the same time, Hussein indicated that several improvements would be made to tighten security at KLIA and increase the efficiency of police personnel.
The Selangor police chief highlighted the use of electric scooters by police officers as one of his actions, as this had been planned since the beginning of the year.
He added that the Selangor police would soon get hold of the scooters. “If we have these scooters, the police response will be faster and they can patrol a wider area in a short time,” said Hussein.
According to him, the police will also propose to KLIA to install scanners to tighten control and increase early detection, especially for individuals carrying prohibited items such as firecrackers and firearms.
Unlike other countries that have scanners, people can now enter the airport area without strict controls, said Hussein.
“At the airport there are airside and landside where the airside (area) is prohibited, while the landside (area) is open. “So maybe there should be stricter regulations there so that people don’t bring prohibited items that endanger civilians at the airport,” he added.
Apart from installing scanners, Hussein also recommended closing the corridors near the arrival and departure hall gates.
Vehicle parking lanes near arrival and departure gates also put KLIA at high risk, as individuals can park their cars and enter the airport easily, he said.
“This has been a proposal from the police for a long time. Previously, we prohibited people from entering the area due to security factors.
“This threatens the security of the airport area because people can enter and enter the airport without control,” he said.
Meanwhile, the outermost route will make it easier for police officers to carry out patrols, said Hussein, making it difficult for the public to carry out unwanted actions.
