AKPS Targets Seamless, Secure Borders Through Technology Push

PUTRAJAYA, April 30 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) is committed to ending siloed work culture among its six core agencies through the empowerment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology and integrated data systems.

AKPS director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the move aimed to establish a more efficient risk-based border control system that balanced seamless trade and national security.

He revealed that the main challenge for the newly established agency was to unify six different technological backgrounds and standard operating procedures (SOPs) involving the Immigration Department, Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS).

“These six core agencies have six different technological backgrounds. This is a major challenge for me and the digital technology division in identifying options to integrate all these systems into one.

“The idea is already there and efforts to realise this integration in the near future are progressing actively,” he said when appearing as a special guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme tonight.

On the direction of ‘Smart Borders’, Mohd Shuhaily said that the use of AI was not merely an expensive technological add-on, but rather a crucial instrument to minimise human intervention that could lead to integrity issues.

He said data integration enabled profiling activities and information sharing among agencies to be carried out automatically, facilitating the detection of threats at official entry points without disrupting international trade flows.

“The Home Ministry (KDN) is currently driving the motto ‘KDN for AI, AI for KDN’. The success of any system depends on how it is utilised by users to produce effective outcomes for the country,” he said.

To ensure the smooth implementation of the digital transformation, Mohd Shuhaily said 11 frontline officers had been sent for intensive training abroad, including in the United States.

“Mindset change must begin with officers working at counters and entry points, not just policymakers in offices. I want them to return with renewed spirit and aspirations after seeing how technology is applied globally,” he said.

He added that although the system was still in the coordination phase, the effectiveness of AKPS’ early detection unit had already yielded extraordinary results, recording seizures worth RM82.1 million in less than a year.

He said stronger system integration in the future would close more loopholes and revenue leakages, strengthening Malaysia’s border sovereignty comprehensively.

-- BERNAMA