Flying passports: Immigration enhances safeguards against graft at high-risk entry points

New Straits Times

13 hours ago

The Immigration Department is doubling down on internal enforcement measures amid renewed scrutiny over frontline integrity. This follows the arrest of four officers over alleged graft at the Malaysia-Singapore border.
Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said six anti-graft protocols remained firmly in place, in line with standing orders issued by the director-general of the Immigration Department, to curb abuse and syndicate infiltration at national entry points.
"These protocols are not symbolic. They are enforced at high-risk locations, including the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB)," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.
"They cover everything from bag and body checks, closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance, rotation of officers, system access audits and handphone bans to integrity pledges for high-exposure assignments."
Rusdi was responding to queries after the arrest of the four enforcement officers at the BSI complex, who were remanded over allegations of stamping foreign passports without the holders being physically present — described as the "flying passport" ruse.
Two officers were detained on suspicion of accepting RM3,000 bribes while manning the motor vehicle entry lane. Two others were picked up later. Investigators also seized 14 foreign passports, four mobile phones and RM3,000 cash.
The suspects, who have been remanded for six days, are believed to have received RM200 per passport for bypassing verification procedures. The case is investigated under Section 17 of the MACC Act 2009.
"This is why internal controls exist," said Rusdi. Immigration enforcement officers at all entry points are prohibited from carrying personal mobile phones, which must be stored in lockers.
Bag and pocket inspections are conducted before and after each shift to detect smuggling, cash bribes or unauthorised documents. Immigration counters are monitored around-the-clock via CCTV cameras by the integrity unit.
Officers caught engaging in suspicious interactions are flagged for further investigation. He confirmed that the department was still reviewing proposals to equip officers with body-worn cameras and artificial intelligence-backed behavioural monitoring systems.
Despite the procedural safeguards, Rusdi admitted that the risk of collusion remained. "We must reinforce a culture of integrity before compromise becomes embedded," he said.