SHAH ALAM – The government’s RM22 billion allocations each for the Defence Ministry and Home Ministry must translate into stronger frontline capabilities, including adequate staffing, specialised training and operational readiness, economists said.
They said investments in security equipment alone would not be sufficient to improve national defence and public safety without the personnel and resources needed to operate and maintain the assets effectively.
Economist Professor Emeritus Dr Barjoyai Bardai said the additional RM7.1 billion allocated for the acquisition and maintenance of assets for the armed forces, police and other uniformed agencies was relevant amid evolving security threats.
“However, equipment expenditure should not be assessed in isolation.
“The effectiveness of security spending depends on whether equipment is supported by sufficient personnel, training, maintenance, intelligence capabilities and effective operational procedures,” he told Sinar Daily.
Barjoyai said investments such as additional police vehicles and upgraded surveillance systems could improve mobility and detection, but their impact would be limited if police stations lacked sufficient officers to respond to emergencies or investigators faced excessive caseloads.
He said the government should assess the benefits of additional equipment against investments in personnel and operational capacity, based on actual security gaps rather than assuming that more equipment would automatically lead to better enforcement.
“I would prioritise adequate frontline staffing, specialised investigative training, modern forensic capabilities, reliable communications systems and stronger victim-support services.
“At the same time, essential defence assets must receive sufficient funding for maintenance and readiness, as neglected equipment can become an expensive liability,” he said.
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Department of Economics and Financial Studies senior lecturer Dr Mohamad Idham Md Razak said modern security assets could improve surveillance, mobility and response capacity, but could not fully compensate for shortages of trained officers and investigative resources.
He said a balanced approach was needed to ensure equipment, personnel and operational capabilities complemented one another.
“For policing, particular attention should be given to response times, case-handling capacity, investigative quality and protection for vulnerable victims,” he said.
Idham added that procurement decisions should consider the full cost of security assets, including maintenance, training and operational requirements, rather than focusing solely on their initial purchase price.
He said lifecycle-cost assessments and regular performance audits were important to ensure assets remained useful and affordable to maintain over time.