KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Our bank branches and electronic banking centres are safe, said CIMB Bank boss Datuk Seri Nazir Razak.

Saying it was unfair for the police to blame the bank, the group chief executive of CIMB Group said the bank's security met with the highest standards of the banking industry.

"It is impractical for us to deploy 24-hour guards at all of our off-site premises as this will require us to have an army of some 2,500 security personnel.

"And I can't even begin to estimate the consequential requirement for the banking industry as a whole."

Nazir was responding to comments by Selangor police that CIMB Bank was targeted because the slots in its cash deposit machines were wide enough to put in explosive devices.

Police had also questioned why there were no security guards at the building when the crime took place.

Nazir described the comments as "blaming the victim for the crime".

"The cash deposit machines at CIMB Bank are no different from those used by other banks in the country, and in other countries for that matter.

"What we should really focus on is how brazen and daring our criminals have become and how the police and we, as a nation and an industry, should deal with the rise in crime," he stressed.

He added that the country's banks were in discussion on what practical, additional security measures could be put in place. The industry will also hold talks with Bank Negara and the police on possible courses of action.

"Meanwhile, we have beefed up security at high-risk branches and off-site premises," said Nazir.

The thieves entered the bank at Wisma Anggerik in Section 26, Shah Alam at 3am on Friday and planted home-made explosives on a cash deposit machine.

After blasting the machine open, they grabbed the cash box with RM30,000 (S$12,700)  and sped away on motorcycles.

The Star/Asia News Network