Malaysia's school security project needs improving

Malaysia's 2012 Auditor-General Report revealed that despite spending nearly US$920 million on beefing up security at schools and public institutes of learning nationwide, Malaysia's Education Ministry had not followed proper guidelines and procedures, which lead to poor implementation. The Ministry's budget for security at schools was more than US$1 billion for the 2010-2012 period.

"The objective of the RM3 billion Security Control Services (PKK) programme was to create a school environment which was peaceful, quiet and instilled confidence in all parties. But the audit has found the management of the PKK to be extremely unsatisfactory," the report noted.

The report said that entry and exit points at these premises were not monitored due to an insufficient number of security guards. It also noted that some guards were hired despite exceeding the age limit and not passing background and health checks.

The Education Ministry was also found to have approved contracts without checking proper documents, and has made payment to contractors despite not completing their works. The report suggests that companies that do not adhere their contracts should be blacklisted.