KUALA LUMPUR — Authorities have taken action against more than 300 Immigration Department personnel for alleged corruption in the “counter-setting” scheme that allowed foreigners to the country without required documents, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Through the cooperation of various enforcement agencies, authorities have cracked down on 47 syndicates and arrested 1,285 individuals, including illegal immigrants.
Of those arrested, 300 are immigration officers, although the minister did not say when the arrests were made.
He said authorities have also increased supervision at the country’s international borders to ensure that only those who satisfy the necessary criteria can enter Malaysia.
“Until September 2024, we have given ‘Not to Land’ orders to 25,214 foreigners denying entry into Malaysia,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today during question time.
Additionally, the Home Minister said the Immigration Department has increased patrols at Malaysia’s border to keep an eye on suspicious travellers who linger for long periods, possibly waiting for instructions from syndicates, before proceeding to immigration counters.
Following these patrols, Saifuddin Nasution said authorities have successfully prevented the entry of 6,694 foreigners who upon inspection, did not have enough money to enter Malaysia and did not have a local address.
To further assist authorities in combating counter-setting syndicates, he said the ministry is at the final stages of procuring enhanced closed-circuit television cameras and an advanced passenger screening system that will allow the Immigration Department to screen travellers before they land.
The minister was answering a question by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN – Kota Bharu) who asked the Home Ministry on steps taken to to tackle counter-setting syndicates that operate with the assistance of enforcement agencies.
Last month, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) announced it had nabbed a mastermind of the “counter-setting” scheme at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The suspect is an immigration officer in his 40s who allegedly conspired with syndicates and other enforcement officers to allow entry for foreigners illegally through designated and predetermined immigration counters at the airport.
Immigration officers would take bribes for each foreigner allowed in illegally, with different amounts for different nationalities. – October 16, 2024