Kuala Lumpur: A total of 16 dogs from the United Kingdom (UK) are set to join the Fire and Rescue Department's (JBPM) K9 Unit, with their deployment expected to begin in November. Each dog comes at a cost of approximately RM150,000.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad announced that five of these dogs will be stationed in Sabah, two in Sarawak, and the rest will be based at the department's K9 unit headquarters at Jalan Klang Lama in Kuala Lumpur. The dogs are scheduled to arrive in Malaysia by October, following which they will undergo necessary processes and training before starting their duties in November.

Datuk Nor Hisham explained that the selection process includes the involvement of three officers from JBPM, the Veterinary Department, and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), who will be dispatched to the UK. Upon their arrival in Malaysia, the dogs will participate in a familiarisation process with their new handlers to ensure a smooth transition.

Speaking at the 2025 Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption forum, which was also attended by Kelantan JBPM director Farhan Sufyan Borhan, Datuk Nor Hisham highlighted the strategic move to replace about half of the current 34 K9 dogs in the unit. These new additions are intended to succeed the older dogs, which are now aged between 10 to 12 years, equating to around 60 years in human age.