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The Star
5 hours ago
- General
- The Star
Autogate glitch exposes system weaknesses
AT about noon on July 18, more than 200 Immigration autogates nationwide suddenly went offline for foreigners, causing chaos in almost all major entry points whether air, sea or land. For more than 24 hours, over 500,000 foreign passport holders, unable to clear Immigration using the autogate facility, were forced to undergo slow and time-consuming manual screenings. Since June 1 last year, visitors from 63 countries, as well as diplomats stationed in Malaysia and their families, have been eligible to use the autogate facility for quicker clearance. The disruption did not affect Malaysian passport holders, who continued to use the autogates without issues, while the QR code-based MyBorderPass system also operated smoothly. The Star was the first media outlet to report on the chaos. Images of long queues at major gateways such as KL International Airport Terminals 1 and 2, and Johor's Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) and Sultan Abu Bakar CIQ (KSAB), circulated widely. Some of the visitors at BSI were forced to queue up for more than five hours to clear Immigration because weekends are the busiest with many Singaporeans coming into the country for food, leisure and shopping. Hundreds of visitors who were unable to endure the long waits, mainly the elderly, decided to turn back to Singapore. At the BSI complex, there are 39 autogates for exit and 29 for entry, while KSAB has 12 in operation. Hundreds of immigration officers nationwide were forced to work long hours during the weekend to clear the backlog of visitors. A large crowd waiting to clear immigration at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar CIQ on July 19 following the autogate system failure. — Filepic Malaysian Border Control and Protection (AKPS) director-general Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain reported that approximately 380,000 people were affected at the BSI checkpoint alone due to the autogate malfunction. AKPS said the breakdown was due to a data integration disruption, leading to cross-checking delays within MyIMMs, the Immigration Department's application system. Checks also showed that the glitch, the worse in Malaysia's history, was linked to the Interpol screening system used for foreign nationals. This server, based in Putrajaya, is used as a screening tool to check visitors if they have any red-flags or notices for criminal or terrorist activities. This incident raised critical questions: How could such an embarrassing failure occur? What has happened to the maintenance of our sensitive hardware and software? Does this mean that, for over a day, Malaysia's borders were vulnerable to international criminals or terrorists entering without proper screening? Authorities have been quick to assert that there was no element of sabotage or cyberattacks involved. This incident underscores the urgent need for agencies like AKPS and the Immigration Department to have robust backup systems or contingency plans for major system failures. It is essential to ensure that funds are properly allocated for system upgrades and maintenance, and that competent vendors and contractors are appointed to manage these systems. There should also be a postmortem to identify system weaknesses, and the agencies need to update their standard operating procedures (SOP) when it comes to crisis management. Our National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe), which is set to replace the archaic MyIMMs, also needs to be operating at top form without any hiccups. The first phase of the new system is expected to be completed next year, hopefully in time for Visit Malaysia and also Visit Johor 2026 tourism campaigns. As we get ready to welcome millions of visitors into the country, Malaysia cannot afford another embarrassing system crash like this.
!['Flying passport' ruse: Sacking offenders is the only way [WATCH]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fassets%2FNST-Logo%402x.png%3Fid%3Db37a17055cb1ffea01f5&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
'Flying passport' ruse: Sacking offenders is the only way [WATCH]
JOHOR BARU: The decades-old "flying passport" racket at the Johor-Singapore land checkpoints continues to thrive — not due to a lack of technology or protocols - but because rogue officers caught red-handed are quietly transferred instead of sacked. An immigration source told the New Straits Times that the ruse, first documented as far back as 1996, has become entrenched within the system, aided by weak disciplinary mechanisms and inter-agency silence. "It's an open secret. Officers caught facilitating ghost entries are just moved to another counter, or another state. No termination, no prosecution, just relocation," the source said. Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain recently defended the transfer of officers under corruption probe, saying it is not a cover-up but a procedural step required under civil service rules. He said he was obligated to address growing public concern over why some officers implicated in misconduct are transferred rather than dismissed, as disciplinary action in the civil service must follow strict procedures. "When an officer is arrested, the public often thinks we are trying to sidestep the issue by moving them elsewhere. But that is not the case. Transferring them is the first and immediate step we can take under current rules," Shuhaily had said. He added that officers must be given a chance to defend themselves under civil service regulations, and any termination of employment involves multiple levels of scrutiny. Public Service Department regulations make it difficult to dismiss errant officers. The result? A revolving door of misconduct. "This breeds impunity. These officers know that even if they're caught, the worst they'll face is a transfer. And the syndicates know it too," the source added. The source then pointed out to a row of eateries and stores just a stone's throw from the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ). "These are the drop points for flying passports. That's where it happens. The handovers. "Just walk into some of these cafes, you'll see nothing, but things are in motion. These places don't just serve food," said the source familiar with the zone. The cost of a passport stamp, once RM200, has now reached RM1,800, depending on the urgency and the number of clearances required. Despite biometric systems, closed-circuit television (CCTV), and electronic logs, officers still override protocols with ease, citing 'system down' or 'manual exception'. The security expert interviewed yesterday said the issue is no longer technical — it's institutional. "We don't need more systems. We need consequence. If not even one officer has been publicly dismissed for this racket, what message does that send?" The insider also warned that internal audits often fail to detect biometric mismatches, and post-clearance reviews rarely result in disciplinary action unless the public raise complaints. Proposed reforms have long been discussed, including permanent blacklists of officers implicated in unauthorised clearances; independent digital audit teams not tied to internal command; AI-driven biometric entry verification with ghost-detection alerts; and real-time supervision with multi-factor clearance triggers. Yet, none have been fully implemented. "Until someone in power draws a line and enforces real accountability, not just shuffling the deck, the ' flying passport ' will keep flying," the source said.
Barnama
4 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Report Pending On Officers Accused In ‘Flying Passport' Bribery Case
KULIM, July 27 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry is still awaiting a full report on the investigation into enforcement officers suspected of abetting a 'flying passport' syndicate while on duty at the country's border checkpoints. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the ministry will obtain a report from Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain. 'Let him (Shuhaily) handle it first… I believe we have placed the right person in the right position,' he told reporters after officiating the 53rd anniversary celebration of the People's Volunteer Corps (RELA) at Dataran Kulim here today. Yesterday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested four enforcement officers suspected of receiving bribes of about RM3,000 for facilitating the 'flying passport' activity at the motorcycle entry zone checkpoint at the Johor-Singapore border. Two of them were detained by AKPS' Compliance Unit during an inspection at the counter yesterday, while two other officers were arrested for allegedly colluding in the operation. Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said RELA members must equip themselves with new skills and enhance training to expand the scope of their functions. He stressed the need for a shift in RELA's core duties from the usual roles of traffic control, disaster response and managing public events. 'This shift aims to elevate RELA's role to include responsibilities in sensitive areas such as border control. 'Of course, RELA will not act alone. Its purpose is to complement and support existing enforcement agencies. The ministry sees potential for RELA to contribute further,' he said.
Malay Mail
6 days ago
- Malay Mail
‘Not to Land': 198 foreigners barred at KLIA over shady travel plans
SEPANG, July 25 — A total of 198 foreign nationals were denied entry at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminals 1 and 2 for failing to meet immigration requirements, including insufficient funds, lack of accommodation bookings and unclear travel purposes. Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said those barred entry will be deported under the 'Not to Land' (NTL) procedure, with airlines responsible for returning them to their countries of origin. Of the total, 128 were intercepted at Terminal 1, comprising 123 Bangladeshis, two Pakistanis, two Indonesians, and one Syrian. The remaining 70 at Terminal 2 included 51 Indonesians, 13 Indians, four Pakistanis, and two Vietnamese nationals. Shuhaily also revealed possible syndicate involvement, following the discovery of photos of AKPS officers on the phones of several detainees, believed to be used to help others evade enforcement. 'These images were likely shared by individuals previously deported. It's a sign that syndicates are adapting to enforcement actions,' he said. He warned that operations will continue to ensure Malaysia is not used as a transit hub for illegal entry. — Bernama
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
198 foreigners denied entry at KLIA for failing immigration checks
SEPANG: A total of 198 foreign nationals were denied entry at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminals 1 and 2 for failing to meet immigration requirements, including insufficient funds, lack of accommodation bookings, and unclear travel purposes. Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said those barred entry will be deported under the 'Not to Land' (NTL) procedure, with airlines responsible for returning them to their countries of origin. Of the total, 128 were intercepted at Terminal 1, comprising 123 Bangladeshis, two Pakistanis, two Indonesians, and one Syrian. The remaining 70 at Terminal 2 included 51 Indonesians, 13 Indians, four Pakistanis, and two Vietnamese nationals. Shuhaily also revealed possible syndicate involvement, following the discovery of photos of AKPS officers on the phones of several detainees, believed to be used to help others evade enforcement. 'These images were likely shared by individuals previously deported. It's a sign that syndicates are adapting to enforcement actions,' he said. He warned that operations will continue to ensure Malaysia is not used as a transit hub for illegal entry. - Bernama
