IN an effort to ensure their safety and uphold transparency while on the job, the Health Ministry (MOH) has mandated the use of body cameras for its enforcement officers.
This was announced by Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who launched the use by the Public Health and Pharmacy enforcement officers yesterday (Dec 12).
In her speech at the ministry’s monthly assembly, she pointed out that the use of body cameras will also help “retain the integrity and improve the image of the ministry”, adding that it will also help ensure the safety and welfare of enforcement officers.
Netizens, however, remained sceptical, with some questioning the need for health officers to have body cameras while officers from other ministries had to make do without.
Twitter user @ZainAbrams, while saying that body cameras are “nice to have”, noted that it was not a necessity, adding that the priority of having such devices should be given to the police, firemen, Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers and Customs officers instead.
Nice to have but not a necessity..priority shd be Police, Bomba, JPJ, Customs ✌️
— Zain Abrams (@ZainAbrams) December 13, 2022
Echoing Zain, user @david69723944 added:
Police officers should have this all the time
— david🏴🏳️🏴🏁 (@david69723944) December 13, 2022
User @ExactCorre55 noted:
Nothing to see here, just KKM spending extra money on surveillance which has nothing to do with kesihatan but public control & surveillance
— Peminat Catnip (@ExactCorre55) December 12, 2022
Meanwhile, user @domesticgod8 opined that the initiative should be implemented among all enforcement agencies in the country:
Now implement it to all enforcement officers in Msia . It’s 65yrs since Merdeka where is the accountability???? @saifnasution @anwaribrahim
— islander (@domesticgod8) December 13, 2022
Reacting more positively to the news, user @seissavage pointed out:
MOH own initiative. it shows they are more proactive in implementing technology to their department
— Abu Umar (@seissavage) December 13, 2022
According to MOH, a total of 110 units of body cameras have been purchased. For the first phase, the body cameras will be used in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Pahang. – Dec 13, 2022
Main pic credit: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
