KUALA LUMPUR – The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has relaxed certain recruitment requirements for non-Bumiputera applicants, including physical and academic criteria, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah announced.
The decision aims to provide greater opportunities for non-Bumiputeras to join the force and ensure PDRM’s personnel better reflect Malaysia’s diverse communities, Bernama reported.
“The Home Ministry (KDN) and PDRM do not impose any specific quotas for Bumiputera or non-Bumiputera applicants. Recruitment is merit-based, considering academic qualifications, health status, physical fitness, and successful completion of the vetting process,” he explained.
Shamsul Anuar further emphasised that the initiative seeks to enhance opportunities for participation without compromising the professionalism and integrity of the force. He added that the government, particularly PDRM, encourages greater non-Bumiputera representation in the police force to better mirror the nation’s diversity.
He was responding to a question from V. Ganabatirau (PH-Klang) regarding the number of new recruits in national enforcement agencies and the proportion of non-Bumiputeras in PDRM during the Dewan Rakyat’s question-and-answer session today.
As of August 31, Shamsul Anuar stated, PDRM’s total personnel stood at 136,503, including 7,581 uniformed officers and civil staff from non-Bumiputeras, making up 5.55% of the total force.
The Deputy Home Minister reassured that the recruitment and promotion processes within PDRM are free from racial or religious discrimination, conducted through a transparent mechanism involving physical examinations, fitness tests, psychometric assessments, and a thorough review of disciplinary records.
Regarding non-Bumiputera recruitment in other uniformed agencies since 2023, Shamsul Anuar revealed that the Immigration Department had filled 553 of 10,914 positions with non-Bumiputeras, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency had 103 out of 4,913, and the Prisons Department had 440 out of 16,153 positions. – November 20, 2025