Take action against those set in old ways, says Malaysia PM Anwar amid alleged corruption at KL airport

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday (Jul 3) that action must be taken against civil servants who are used to the “old system and practices” amid claims of alleged corruption by immigration officers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). 

“There are small groups that are still used to the old system and practices,” he said during his monthly address to the staff of the Prime Minister’s Department, although he did not clarify what he meant by “old system and practices”. 

“I believe this (issue) comes under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) jurisdiction to take action.” 

Speaking about his surprise visit to KLIA the day before, Mr Anwar said: “It is not right for us to give a general perception that there are issues in the immigration department.”

He also urged those in leadership positions to head to the ground to “see for (themselves)” rather than assume that “everything is fine”. 

“I (went to KLIA to) defend the integrity of the immigration department as a whole but still emphasise that (action must be taken against) some small groups who still feel they are comfortable with the old ways. 

“We should act immediately and firmly because this is happening and this is affecting our careers, the image of the civil service department and also the country as a whole,” he said. 

The prime minister added that he understood that change takes time. 

“But for the people who are experiencing difficulty and suffering, for the system that is already dilapidated, I don’t think we should wait too long,” said Mr Anwar. 

He noted that during his visit to KLIA, only one out of seven customs scanners at the arrival area was working. He was told that the remaining had been broken since last year. 

“This shows a weakness in terms of information because if the expenditure is only around a few million, we could have approved it immediately,” he said. 

Mr Anwar’s visit to KLIA on Sunday followed allegations of corruption by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing against several immigration officers.  

On Thursday, a local news portal reported that a commotion occurred at KLIA, when a Malaysian minister allegedly attempted to “rescue” a female Chinese national who was denied entry into the country.

The minister, Mr Tiong, was said to have barged into the arrival hall without applying for a security pass, with the incident going viral on social media. 

Mr Tiong was quoted by The Star as saying that the media reports which said he did not have a security pass to enter the arrival zone of KLIA were “untrue” and he had a pass that was valid until next year. 

According to the Star, the Chinese national alleged that although her travel documents were in order, she was denied entry by immigration officers. She also claimed that she was asked to pay several thousand ringgit if she wanted to be allowed entry.

Immigration Director-General Ruslin Jusoh said on Friday his department would investigate the incident.

On Saturday, the MACC said it will investigate allegations of corruption by immigration officers when handling foreign tourists at the country’s entry points. 

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the commission was gathering information from the parties involved, including a well-known dignitary and the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM), to facilitate the investigation.