KOTA BHARU, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- The practice of irregular stamping for entry and exit into the country at Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complexes is viewed as a serious violation of standard operating procedures (SOP) that can affect the country’s sovereignty and security.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said such violations were not minor administrative issues, but carried major risks to the national border control system if not addressed with strict action.
“Based on records for 2025, disciplinary action has been taken against 92 immigration officers stationed at national entry and exit points for offences relating to irregular endorsements and immigration stamping.
“Such acts are categorised as a serious integrity misconduct as they have the potential of a huge risk to the country’s sovereignty and security,” he told Bernama recently, adding that every immigration check procedure is part of national security.
The department, he said, has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of compromise in the execution of duties at the country’s entry points, especially at ICQS complexes identified as high-risk zones.
“In addition to disciplinary action, the department also conducts integrity checks strengthened through spot-checks, round-the-clock CCTV surveillance and technology-based improvements to control systems to ensure full compliance of SOP,” Zakaria said, adding that the use of high-technology in at-risk locations ensures checks can be done faster.
He also revealed that the current security levels at the ICQS complexes bordering Thailand in Kedah, Perlis, Perak and Kelantan were stable and under control thanks to modern border management approaches.
Even though the Malaysian Control and Border Protection Agency (MCBA) has taken over control duties at entry points, the Immigration Department remains as a vital agency managing 10 immigration aspects and security checks through a more efficient organisational restructure.
He also singled out identity theft and misusing border documents as key threats identified at entry points along the Malaysia-Thailand border.
“To tackle this, the NIISe (National Integrated Immigration System) is used to analyse visitor and tourist data in-depth using artificial intelligence (AI), which enables Immigration or MCBA officers to make more accurate security decisions quickly on the field,” he said.
NIISe was designed with the capability to fully integrate with various international and national security databases, including those of Interpol, he said.
With such integration, the Immigration Department can conduct security risk analyses comprehensively and effectively, reducing dependence on fully manual checks.
“Synergy between MCBA and Immigration, supported by the NIISe system’s capability of working with the databases of the Royal Malaysia Police, the National Registry Department and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, has closed off gaps exploited by syndicates.
“The approach of complete risk management ensures each attempt by syndicates to manipulate entry points are detected earlier,” Zakaria said.
The department is also improving cooperation via system integration with international entities such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for passport confirmation and sharing other security data, such as the Stolen or Lost Documents database, he said.
“Technical cooperation such as this ensures travellers from Thailand or other countries undergo strict vetting processes in accordance to global standards,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
