All VIPs flagged as ‘TCO’ by border control, even me, says PM

GOMBAK: All VIPs are flagged in the border control system as “Travel Control Office/Order” (TCO), even the prime minister, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Every VIP has this (TCO), even me,” he told reporters briefly after a “meet the PM” programme at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) campus here on Friday (April 11) before leaving for a luncheon with students.

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Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar claimed that he has been flagged in the border control system as “TCO” and is being watched.

He said he was under surveillance, being followed, and his phone was being tapped.

In homeland security systems, “TCO” refers to the “Travel Control Office/Order”, a designation often assigned by a specific branch to individuals deemed a risk.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail played down Ahmad Samsuri’s claims by saying that a Mentri Besar was accorded a security detail at all times, and any additional “surveillance” would be unnecessary.