AKPS Tightens Officer Screening To Curb ‘Counter Setting’

PUTRAJAYA, July 24 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) is stepping up efforts to curb ‘counter setting’ activities at the country’s entry points, through stricter personnel vetting and policy reforms.

Director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the agency is drafting a policy to ensure only officers with clean disciplinary records are deployed at border posts.

“As a new agency involving personnel from Immigration, Customs and other departments, we’ve inherited legacy issues. We aim to break that cycle through proper screening,” he told reporters today.

Counter setting, a term referring to illicit dealings at immigration counters, has long been a concern, and Shuhaily said policy support and internal cooperation were key to addressing it.

In a related development, a male immigration officer in his early 30s was arrested today after he was found with nearly RM8,000 in cash and three mobile phones, allegedly in breach of internal directives.

The officer, with only four years in service, has been handed over to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Selangor and is being investigated under Section 17A of the MACC Act.

“This is someone with 30 years of service ahead. Unfortunately, the lack of a swift mechanism to terminate such officers remains a major challenge,” Shuhaily said.

He also noted public misconceptions about disciplinary procedures, with many assuming corrupt officers are simply transferred.

However, he said that civil servants are entitled to due process, which takes time.

Shuhaily has proposed a more efficient mechanism to remove corrupt public servants, but said the matter must be reviewed legally with the Attorney General’s Chambers, Public Services Department and other stakeholders.

-- BERNAMA