KOTA BHARU, Aug 12 — A plan to enhance airport security will be presented to the Cabinet next week, after a Malaysian pilot was arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of drug smuggling, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the plan was discussed at last week’s Cabinet meeting, at which regulatory agencies were told to draw up plans to boost airport security.
The agencies included the Home Ministry, Transport Ministry, Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), Aviation Security (AVSEC), Malaysia Aviation Commission (MAVCOM), and Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), he said.
“The agencies met yesterday, and I understand a paper on the plan to enhance airport security controls will be presented to the Cabinet at next week’s meeting,” he told reporters after visiting the family of the late corporal Mohamad Nur Hafiz Rahim in Ketereh here today.
Nur Hafiz is believed to have died from electric shock in Beaufort, Sabah, last week.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said the plan would cover coordination, training, infrastructure and logistics, including the control and operation of scanners.
He said airport scanners are operated by the AVSEC team in accordance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), with emphasis on detecting bombs, sharp weapons and firearms.
“If contraband appears onscreen, it can certainly be detected by the scanning machine. However, the screening procedures do not fall under the routine security checks carried out by the police or AKPS, so we have to realign the procedures,” he said.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim raised the matter to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who then urged all quarters involved to prioritise airport security.
He added that the matter is not just about security but also the country’s reputation, especially as Malaysia records strong tourist arrival figures.
