No phones for Immigration officers on duty at KLIA to curb graft, MACC proposes

PUTRAJAYA: Immigration officers, including supervisors, stationed at the counters of KL International Airport Terminal 1 and 2 should not have access to their mobile phones while on duty, says Tan Sri Azam Baki.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner said the commission has proposed this to the Immigration department following the crackdown on counter setting activities, which saw 49 Immigration officers nabbed.

“By blocking access to their mobile phones, it can prevent them from being contacted by outside parties.

“They also need other communication methods while on duty,” he told a press conference at the MACC headquarters on Wednesday (Sept 18).

Currently, the work schedule for officers manning the counters are set when they are already in the counter zones, he said.

“Maybe other parties can decide on the work schedule beforehand,” he said.

Azam said the commission had identified 11 main problems and weaknesses involving the Immigration department, which led to syndicates being able to bring in syndicates via the counter setting method.

“One of the main problems is lack of internal control when (the officers) are on duty, enabling syndicate agents easily approaching them.

“Another problem is non-systematic work rotation for Immigration officers stationery at KLIA Terminal 1 and 2.

“That too gave the agents easy access to the officers manning the counters.

“This is because the agents would know who is stationed at which counter beforehand,” he said.

Azam said another weakness identified was a lack of supervision, which led to loopholes in operating procedures.

“Checking systems on entry for foreigners are also easily manipulated and hard to review.

“There are other weaknesses discovered including officers stationed too long at the same location as well as Immigration officers who gave and received bribes to each other,” he said.

Azam said the MACC also discovered that there was no monitoring and an extra layer of filtering documents of foreigners and their accommodation while in Malaysia.

“The large amount offered as bribes is a big problem as well,” he said.