No sabotage in e-gate system failure: Border control agency chief

The Sun

2 days ago

PETALING JAYA: The Border Control and Protection Agency has ruled out sabotage or cyberattacks as the cause of the recent disruption to the automated gate (e-gate) system, which led to significant delays for foreign travellers at key national entry points.
Its director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the issue, which occurred last Friday and Saturday, was due to a technical fault in the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMS), linked to an international enforcement agency.
'The system failure slowed down cross-verification of visitor records, resulting in long queues and severe congestion. We deeply regret the incident,' he said during a press conference at KL International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 yesterday.
He confirmed that about 380,000 travellers were affected over the two-day period, with the worst congestion reported at the Sultan Iskandar CIQ Complex in Johor.
'A full investigation is ongoing, but so far we've found no evidence of sabotage or cyberattack. I prefer not to speculate further to avoid causing unnecessary public concern.'
The affected e-gate systems – located at the Sultan Iskandar CIQ Complex, Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ Complex and KLIA terminals 1 and 2 – were gradually restored by Saturday night.
Mohd Shuhaily clarified that while the agency oversees frontline border enforcement, the infrastructure and maintenance of the system fall under the Immigration Department's responsibility.
He stressed that both agencies had worked closely to resolve the issue.
'We've been in constant communication with the Immigration Department to respond to challenges on the ground,' he said, adding that measures would be taken to prevent similar disruptions in future.
Earlier reports indicated that a data integration error within MyIMMS had hindered the verification process, triggering congestion at several major checkpoints, including KLIA, the Sultan Iskandar CIQ Complex and the Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ Complex.
The agency confirmed that Malaysian passport holders were unaffected and that swift action was taken in coordination with the Immigration Department to mitigate the impact.