KUALA LUMPUR: All bodyguards in the country are to receive special training by the police beginning next year to improve the quality of their services.

Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim said the training will also be mandatory for employees of security firms when applying for firearm licence renewal.

“This measure will ensure security companies do not arbitrarily distribute firearms to any individual, or assign just any employee to bodyguard duties,” Alwi said in his speech when closing the 38th Certified Security Guards training programme at the Malaysian Police Training Centre this morning.

He said security companies must not view this new requirement as a burden, but a good, long-term human resource investment.-nst