On May 17, 2024, the ASEANAPOL Secretariat (AS) paid a courtesy call to the Director of Internal Security and Public Order (ISPO) of the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) in Kuala Lumpur. The purpose of the visit was to discuss ongoing collaboration between ISPO and the ASEANAPOL Secretariat on combating transnational crimes.
The ISPO was represented by Dato’ Sri Mohd Kamarudin bin Md Din,
Director of ISPO; Dato’ Hj. Mohd Yusoff bin Mamat, Deputy Director of ISPO (Operational); ACP Sulizmie Affandy bin Sulaiman, Assistant Director of Wildlife Crime; and ACP Shamsol bin Kassim, Deputy Commander of the Marine Police Force. The ASEANAPOL Secretariat representatives included Executive Director David Martinez Vinluan; Supt Azrul Hisham bin Mohd Shaffei, Head of Administrative and Technical Support; DSP Suresh Subramaniam, Plans and Programmes Officer I; DSP Chan Yew Hiok, Police Services Officer I; and ASP Engku Nurul ‘Aini Engku Malek, Plans and Programmes Officer II.
The meeting began with ISPO proposing wildlife crime and maritime fraud as key areas for discussion. Discussions focused on the seriousness of wildlife trafficking and its impact on biodiversity, development, and security. The importance of information sharing and collaboration between ASEAN Member Countries (AMCs) was highlighted. Regarding maritime fraud, ISPO clarified that the Marine Police Force (MPF) primarily focuses on maritime security. ISPO also identified cargo theft, smuggling of contraband items, document fraud, and illegal fishing as the highest crime areas they encounter and emphasized that the MPF has ongoing collaboration with neighboring countries through meetings and information exchange.
In response, Executive Director David Martinez Vinluan, expressed appreciation to ISPO and RMP for the warm welcome. He then provided an overview of ASEANAPOL's current structure, highlighting that wildlife crime and maritime crime are among its core areas. Both parties committed to enhancing cooperation aimed at effectively combating transnational organized crime.
The courtesy visit concluded with a commitment to explore further training opportunities and a customary exchange of gifts. The visit serves as a positive step towards strengthening cooperation between ASEANAPOL and ISPO, RMP in addressing regional transnational crime and security challenges.
“Together We Keep This Region Safe”