KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 27): Immigration checks using the National Integrated Immigration System (MyNIISe), which enables travellers to clear immigration using quick response (QR) codes, are expected to begin in January next year, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the system, which is currently in its trial phase, allows immigration checks to be conducted by scanning QR codes linked to either physical passports or the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC).
As of Oct 13, more than 1.5 million users had registered to use the system, he said, adding that awareness campaigns would be intensified to ensure smooth implementation.
The Home Ministry (KDN) was also committed to resolving any technical issues involving QR code scanning before the system's official launch, he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2027 (Budget 2027) at the policy stage for KDN in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.
In a separate development, Saifuddin expressed condolences to the family of a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) member who died while on duty to prevent the entry of undocumented migrants in the waters off Sungai Padang, Perlis, at midnight on Monday.
“In the incident, the MMEA boat was rammed, causing it to hit a concrete structure and resulting in the death of one officer. I extend my condolences to the victim’s family,” he said.
He said the government would not compromise and would take firm action against anyone who sheltered or employed undocumented migrants.
From 2025 to Sept 30 this year, the Immigration Department had detained 3,161 employers suspected of employing or harbouring undocumented migrants, with action taken under Sections 55B and 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Saifuddin said overcrowding at immigration depots, where the number of detainees exceeded capacity by more than 20,000, had also placed a financial burden on the government, which spends RM15 per day to detain each individual.
He said the repatriation of undocumented migrants needed to be expedited through cooperation with the embassies of their countries of origin.
For more Parliament stories, click here.
Uploaded by Tham Yek Lee