PUTRAJAYA (Sept 18): It has been proposed that immigration officers stationed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 should be prohibited from using mobile phones while on duty, to prevent a recurrence of “counter setting” syndicates, which allow foreign nationals to enter the country through “special counter lanes”.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said this is among the suggested key improvements the Immigration Department must implement. He added that there is also a need for alternative communication systems during working hours, ensuring that immigration officers, including supervisors, do not carry their mobile phones while on duty to avoid being contacted by external parties.
In addition, Azam said the MACC has recommended that the schedule for assigning officers at the counters be finalised only after the officers have reported for duty and are already in the counter zone, with the assignments being managed by a separate party.
“There are numerous areas that the Immigration Department needs to address, including officer selection, work procedures and methods for tackling corruption.
“The Governance Investigation Division (BPT) will carry out a two-month investigation into the entire work process and submit its recommendations to the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Home Affairs for comprehensive reforms,” he said during a special press conference today.
Azam pointed out that the main problem behind the 'counter setting' syndicates is weak internal control, which makes immigration officers easy targets for agents and syndicates, saying that the absence of a proper rotation system for officers at KLIA1 and KLIA2 allows these groups to form connections with both supervisors and frontline officers.
He also identified several other issues, including inadequate monitoring, insufficient oversight and gaps in work procedures, and said that the system for screening foreign nationals was easily manipulated, with lack of proper review mechanisms complicating efforts to detect and prevent such misconduct.
Azam said some officers have become too comfortable in their long-term assignments at KLIA, which has encouraged corrupt practices within the immigration workforce at both KLIA1 and KLIA2 entry points.
“Investigations have uncovered instances of immigration officers accepting bribes to allow foreign nationals who do not meet entry requirements to enter the country.
“There are no strict standard operating procedures or sufficient monitoring in place, and Immigration needs to take responsibility by launching large-scale operations to apprehend illegal immigrants,” he said.
He said the absence of third-party vetting in reviewing documents, such as return tickets and accommodation arrangements, also contributed to these issues, with the lure of hefty bribes further enticing officers to participate in such syndicates.
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