KLIA assault: Immigration union demands swift action, better security

New Straits Times

4 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Services Union of Peninsular Malaysia has condemned the assault on a female immigration officer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 yesterday.
Its president, Ajeet Singh, said the union takes the incident seriously and has urged the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) to take proactive measures to safeguard officers on duty as well as travellers.
He said provoking or assaulting civil servants is subject to legal action, regardless of whether the perpetrator is a Malaysian or foreign citizen.
"Any action that contravenes Malaysian law can be considered a challenge to the country's legal sovereignty, and every tourist is obliged to respect the laws of the country they are visiting," he said in a statement today.
He also urged the Home Ministry to revisit its proposal to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at all counters to enhance monitoring of immigration procedures.
He called for the investigation to be expedited and for the perpetrators to be prosecuted without compromise.
"The union will continue to provide full support to the officers involved, including welfare and legal assistance, until the justice process is completed.
"Immigration officers are the front line of the country's sovereignty.
"Abusing them while on duty is not only rude, but also tarnishes the country's image and threatens security at international ports of entry," he said.
Earlier, a Chinese national was arrested after allegedly behaving aggressively and injuring an immigration counter officer during a departure check at KLIA 1.
The incident occurred at 7.40pm when the woman, accompanied by a man and two children, approached the counter for immigration clearance.
The officer on duty discovered that they had no records of entry into Malaysia and referred the matter to a supervisor for further verification.
The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency said the suspect became agitated when instructed to allow other passengers to proceed while checks were carried out.
She allegedly hurled abuse at the officer, pulled her headscarf, and pushed her head towards a pillar in front of the counter.