PUTRAJAYA – A top anti-corruption official has petitioned Malaysia’s Immigration Department to ban the use of mobile phones for immigration officers and supervisors assigned at the counters of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The prohibition is part of a wider crackdown against immigration officers purportedly conniving with a syndicate in allowing foreign workers to enter Malaysia illegally. Errant officers were said to be among 50 individuals arrested for allegedly assigning special lanes for processing the entry of illegal workers through a method called “counter setting”.

Blocking communication with external parties

Tan Sri Azam Baki, chief commissioner at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), has requested leaders of the Immigration Department to prevent such activities by restricting officers’ communications.

“Blocking access to their mobile phones can prevent them from being contacted by outside parties. They also need other communication methods while on duty,” Azam said.

The MACC is also proposing a new method of assigning officers to the immigration counters. Under the proposed scheme, officers would be notified of their assigned booth only after they have reported for duty and once they are within the secured premises of the immigration sections at KLIA.

The roster would also be managed by a third party who will act as oversight.

“One of the main problems is a lack of internal control [over] when [officers] are on duty, enabling syndicate agents to approach them easily,” Azam said.

“Another problem is non-systematic work rotation for immigration officers stationed at KLIA Terminals 1 and 2,” he said. “That too gives the agents easy access to the officers manning the counters as the agents would know who is stationed at which counter beforehand.”

Immigration officers allegedly accepting bribes

Azam also pointed to at least 11 other improvements necessary to tightening security at these entry points.

“There are numerous areas that the Immigration Department needs to address, including officer selection, work procedures and methods for tackling corruption,” he said.

One point of contention is the method of supervision becoming too laxed.

“The checking system on entry for foreigners is also easily manipulated and hard to review,” the commissioner said. “There are no strict standard operating procedures or sufficient monitoring in place.”

Some officers have also become complacent after having served at KLIA for years. This, in turn, has led to the acceptance of corrupt practices such as bribery, the commissioner explained.

“There were other weaknesses discovered, including officers stationed for too long at the same location and immigration officers who gave and received bribes from each other,” Azam said.

“Investigations have uncovered instances of immigration officers accepting bribes to allow foreign nationals who do not meet entry requirements to enter the country,” he said. “Immigration needs to take responsibility by launching large-scale operations to apprehend illegal immigrants.”