Kuala lumpur: A total of 26 enforcement officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) were dismissed last year for their involvement in the counter-setting syndicate, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that eight more individuals were also terminated in 2023.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had handled 50 cases of phantom travellers, with two cases currently in the process of being charged in court, while the remaining cases are at various stages, including prosecution, internal investigations, and the preparation of governance investigation papers. Saifuddin Nasution emphasized that all actions taken are concrete measures against corruption, underscoring the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards such acts.
Counter setting refers to a corrupt practice involving the manipulation of immigration counters to facilitate the illegal entry or exit of individuals. In response to a supplementary question from Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh on actions against counter-setting cases in KLIA, Saifuddin Nasution reiterated the government’s commitment to combating corruption.
In response to a question from Lee Chean Chung on the ministry’s efforts to tackle the issue, Saifuddin Nasution said other intervention measures implemented include the digitalisation of services, particularly the traveller entry process at all entry points. The government is expanding the auto gate system to reduce human interaction, with plans to install 635 auto gates at 123 entry points under the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency.
Beginning December, the auto gate system will be installed at several key entry points, including the Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor and KLIA Terminals 1 and 2. The system is set for full rollout by March 2028 and employs biometric technologies like face recognition and fingerprint scanning to address issues related to the manipulation of traveller entry.
Saifuddin Nasution also mentioned a proof of concept for using body cameras by enforcement officers at entry points, with the procurement of 614 units scheduled for next month. Additional measures include the implementation of the Advanced Passenger Screening System and awareness programmes in collaboration with the MACC, police, and other agencies. To date, 185 related courses have been conducted.