SEPANG, July 8 — Dismissal action will be taken against officers of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) who are found guilty of involvement in smuggling or abuse of power at the country's entry points and borders.
Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) Director-General Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain stated that this was among the proposals he would submit to strengthen border operations.
He said that AKPS members and officers must uphold high integrity because they are now entrusted with broad authority at the country's entry points.
“What I am emphasising is rather serious, which is a culture of prioritising integrity, because when we combine many tasks, the scope of power will expand. With more power, the more an officer is exposed to temptation … I may propose more strict recruitment and termination procedures if someone is caught in smuggling activities,” Shuhaily said.
He was speaking to the press after making his first working visit to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 today.
Shuhaily added that AKPS will examine several standard operating procedures (SOPs) or new facilities to ensure that operations at entry points are streamlined to the highest level.
“It is my responsibility to ensure that the facilities (at the country’s entry points) meet the international image as the government intends to project,” he said.
For the first phase, AKPS is entrusted with overseeing the country’s 22 entry points per the Border Control and Protection Agency Act 2024.
“At the moment, my focus is only on strengthening these gazetted locations before expanding our scope to include intelligence and preventive efforts that extend beyond these gazetted points,” Shuhaily said.
AKPS functions as a single agency at the nation's borders, consolidating expertise and resources from various government agencies to coordinate operations at all national entry points.
— Bernama
