1ST ASEAN Police Forensic Science Network (APFSN) Meeting on 15 – 17 February 2017, Royal Malaysia Police College, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

The 1^st ASEAN Police Forensic Science Network (APFSN) Meeting has been successfully held at the Royal Malaysia Police College, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 15 to 17 February 2017. The meeting attended by representatives from all ASEANAPOL Member Countries with the exception of Myanmar Police Force.  The ASEANAPOL Secretariat participated in this meeting and was represented by its Executive Director Police Brigadier General Yohanes Agus Mulyono, Director for Police Services PSSUPT Ferdinand RP Bartolome and Director for Plan and Programmes ACP Aidah Bt. Othman.

During the Opening Ceremony, the Executive Director of ASEANAPOL Secretariat gave his message which emphasised on the significance of networking in Forensic Science among all ASEAN Police Forces.  Later, SAC Saiful Azly Bin Hj. Kamaruddin, the Deputy Director (Forensic/ Databank DNA/ Strategic Planning, Criminal Investigation Department, Royal Malaysia Police, as the Chairperson of the 1^st APFSN delivered his keynote address and officiated the event.

The meeting was chaired by SAC Saiful Azly Bin Hj. Kamaruddin, the Deputy Director (Forensic/ Databank DNA/ Strategic Planning, Criminal Investigation Department of Royal Malaysia Police and co-chaired by SUPT Lei Pei Pei, Assistant Director Forensics Division, Singapore Police Force.  The Chairperson called upon SAC Dato Mohamad Anil Shah Bin Abdullah, Head of International Relations Unit of the Inspector-General of Police’s Secretariat, who was also the former Director for Police Services of ASEANAPOL Secretariat for a brief introduction on the establishment and also an overview of the formation of APFSN.

Soon after, SAC Hussein Bin Omar Khan, Principal Assistant Director of DNA Databank Division (D13), Royal Malaysia Police presented a proposal on Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and forensic functions for ASEANAPOL DVI/ CSI Committee.  Presentation followed by ACP Azari bin Abd. Rahman, Head of Physical Division, Forensic Laboratory (D10), Royal Malaysia Police explained on APFSN as a mechanism for information and intelligence e xchange on all matters involving CSI among ASEAN and Police agencies (DVI / CSI hub).

All delegations who are representatives from Police Forensic Division of their respective countries, presented their country paper on the overview of Forensic Facilities and Services.

Subsequently, all members discussed and agreed on the Draft Resolutions referred to the existing Terms of References (TOR) of APFSN that was established on the need to increase the capacity of ASEAN Police in Forensic Science.

The meeting acknowledged the support given by Member Countries, on the conduct of implementing ASEAN Forensic Science Network needs. The fruitful meeting was conducted in a harmonious atmosphere with the spirit of ASEAN.