Police could have earned RM12 mil per year

The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) could have earned RM12.34 million of taxpayers' money per year if it had leased out the 315 lots of undeveloped land held by it, according to the newly-released Auditor-General's report for 2007.

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According to the AG, the PDRM owned 2,453 lots of land, totalling 8,430 hectares in size nationwide, but 437 lots equivalent to 1,453 hectares in size were left abandoned.

Some of the lots leased out were also poorly managed, with unrenewed leases causing overdue payments.

The report laid the blame on the Home Ministry, the PDRM and the director-general of Lands and Mines Department (JKPTG), saying all three parties should be held responsible for not making more efficient use of government resources.

That included developing the vacant land for productive use, or leasing out the idle lots to mitigate maintenance costs, the report added.

Lease to other agencies

The AG pointed out that in accordance with 2007 circulars issued by JKPTG, lands no longer used by PDRM should be leased out to other agencies.

The report also said PDRM was granted sufficient yearly allocations for maintaining the undeveloped lands.

While it did not specify the size of the yearly allocations, the AG report also advised the Home Ministry to draw specific five-year plans to obtain and disburse allocations.

The report also cited staff shortage as a cause for the poor maintenance, advising the ministry to add new positions to beef up supervision of the properties.

Other reasons that made it tough for the PDRM to manage the lands include trespassers, illegal squatters and also the presence of dense foliage.