Disruption of autogate system
SEPANG (July 20): No signs of sabotage or cyberattack have been detected as the cause of the disruption of the automatic gate system for foreign visitors, said Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
He said the issue is believed to have stemmed from a disruption in data integration between the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) and the security database of an international enforcement agency, which in turn, slowed down the cross-checking process.
'So far, we have not detected any indication of a cyberattack. Let us carry out a thorough investigation to determine the actual cause,' he told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 today.
Mohd Shuhaily said all automatic gate systems for foreign visitors that were previously affected were now fully operational.
He apologised for any inconvenience caused by the disruption of the system and assured the public that steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence.
The automatic gate system disruption was reported to have occurred last Friday and persisted until yesterday evening.
As a result, congestion and long queues were observed at several key entry points, including KLIA Terminals 1 and 2, as well as the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) in Johor.
In response, the AKPS implemented mitigation measures to ease the flow of visitors, which included activating all manual counters and deploying additional personnel at the affected checkpoints.
Meanwhile, a survey by Bernama at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) in Johor found that entry and exit traffic was moving smoothly today, with no signs of congestion, unlike the previous day due to a disruption to two e-gate systems that began on Friday.
Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, when contacted, confirmed that the e-gate systems were fully restored as of 10 pm yesterday.
Meanwhile, Singaporean Narziah Shakor, 55, shared her experience, saying the disruption had caused significant inconvenience for many travellers, some of whom were left standing in long queues for hours.
Narziah, who lives in Bedok, said her son had advised her not to travel to Johor yesterday due to widespread reports of severe congestion, which left many stranded for over three hours.
'Alhamdulillah, everything is back to normal today, and the process is smooth. But yesterday was quite bad…many people had to stand for three to four hours,' said the Singapore-based civil servant. – Bernama
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