FMT’s conversation with IMS Motorsport Sdn Bhd, the first company in Malaysia to provide bulletproof windows for vehicles, revealed that more and more Malaysians were worried of being shot in their cars and this had led to the higher demand.
The company is now receiving back-to-back calls from those who want to protect themselves from such threats. The long list of clients include high profile individuals, and businesspersons involved in licensed money lending services, the company said.
The company also admitted that some of the clients appeared to be involved in suspicions activities which left them concerned about their safety.
A few government agencies had also expressed interest in the company’s services.
“We are now preparing proposals for them,” said IMS Motorsport Managing Director Howe Chin.
The cost to install bullet proof windows is not cheap and it could go as high as RM200,000 per vehicle, Howe said.
“We received numerous calls inquiring about our services. But many are still considering whether or not to install the bulletproof windows due to the high cost.
“The price starts at RM140,000 and can go up to RM200,000 depending on the type of vehicle. The high quality materials are imported from Europe,” he said.
He added that the glass used could deceive potential assailants, as it looked like regulars ones, but it is actually impenetrable to all kinds of bullets, including that of a machine gun.
“The thicker the glass, the more expensive it is.”
Like a bodyguard
Howe told FMT that having bulletproof windows was like having a bodyguard accompanying the customer on the streets, if not better.
Even with three bodyguards protecting us, if our cars are not bulletproof, it can still be dangerous as those murdered by armed assailants were shot while they were in their cars.”
Bulletproof windows were introduced in Malaysia in April 2014 by IMS Magna Armoring as a joint venture with Magna Security, IMS Motorsport and Dupont Malaysia.
The business is now wholly-owned by IMS Motorsport.
The bulletproof glass provided by the company has also received the approval of the Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence (Stride).
The number of those murdered by armed assailants has been on the rise in the past couple of months.
According to police, most of these cases involved gang rivalries. Just on Wednesday, a man in a Honda Accord was shot dead in broad daylight.
The driver had stopped at a traffic light junction near Jalan Genting Klang. Police said 18 shots were fired by four men on two motorcycles.
It was the second such shooting case in under a month. On July 6, a 32-year-old real estate agent was shot dead while getting into her vehicle in Taman OUG, Jalan Klang Lama. Also shot was her daughter, aged eight.