Throw them out, MACC chief says of corrupt Immigration staff

New Straits Times

3 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Rogue Immigration Department personnel involved in counter-setting activities and the "flying passport" ruse must be thrown out, says Malaysia's top graft buster.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said if any of these personnel are found guilty of being involved in such activities, the right move to make would be to throw them out.
"Stern action must be taken to ensure that these personnel at the border entry and exits conduct themselves with integrity at all times," he said.
Azam said we was also looking forward to meeting with Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain soon.
"We plan to hold a discussion with him especially on the counter-setting and the "flying passport" ruse.
Counter-setting refers to the act of allowing foreigners to enter the country without proper inspection by going through designated or pre-determined lanes at Immigration entry points.
The "flying passport" ruse, or ghost entries, occur when passports are scanned and recorded as having entered the country, but the passport holder never physically crosses the border, creating a false immigration record. This ruse is often used to aid fugitives, overstayers, or those under travel bans.
Azam said based on information received the syndicate received between RM500 and RM2,000 depending on the country involved in the "flying passport" ruse.
"The prices vary based on the level of difficulty involved," he said.
"The recommendations we made previously, including that these personnel be banned from carrying mobile phones while on duty remain relevant," he said, adding that enforcement of these recommendations should be carried immediately.
Meanwhile, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said they would cooperate with the MCBA in its investigation of these activities.
"We will cooperate and share information and intelligence with them as well as the MACC.
"Last year, our department cooperated with the MACC in taking action against 50 personnel believed to be involved in counter-setting activities," he said.
"Since January, the MCBA has taken over the functions and control of the entry points, so monitoring is now under the agency's responsibility.
"However, last year the Immigration Department did take action to address this issue, so we are ready to share information if and when needed," he said.
Last year MACC recommended that Immigration officers manning counters at the country's entry points should not have access to their mobile phones.
This followed a probe which found that Immigration officers, who were caught for counter-setting at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Terminal 1) and klia2 (Terminal 2) had received information from agents on the arrival of certain foreign nationals via WhatsApp.
Counter-setting refers to the act of allowing foreigners to enter the country without proper inspection by going through designated or pre-determined lanes at Immigration entry points.
Investigations also found several issues which led to the occurrence of counter-setting, including the relaxation of internal controls that made it easier for officers to be approached by agents or syndicates while on duty.
Duty rotations for officers at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 were also not done systematically.
It was reported that the decades-old "flying passport" ruse at the Johor-Singapore land checkpoints continues to thrive — not due to a lack of technology or protocols - but because rogue officers caught red-handed are quietly transferred instead of sacked.
An immigration source told the New Straits Times that the ruse, first documented as far back as 1996, has become entrenched within the system, aided by weak disciplinary mechanisms and inter-agency silence.
"It's an open secret. Officers caught facilitating ghost entries are just moved to another counter, or another state. No termination, no prosecution, just relocation," the source said.
Shuhaily recently defended the transfer of officers under corruption probe, saying it is not a cover-up but a procedural step required under civil service rules.