[ad_1]
PUTRAJAYA: Manual passport stamping will be replaced by digital printing once a new integrated system begins in 2023.
The new system and the installation of CCTV cameras at the counters are among the measures to boost the efficiency of immigration services and deter their agents from committing crimes.
The Director General of the Department of Immigration, Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud (Photo) said that the National Integrated Immigration System would put an end to old practices, including manual stamping, while document holders would receive identification recognized by the system.
The stamping would be replaced by digital printing of social visiting passes in passports, he explained.
“When a foreign traveler arrives in Malaysia after their first visit, they can go through the automatic gate instead of queuing to verify their passport,” he said.
The project, with an estimated cost of RM1.2bil, is expected to be fully operational in 2023.
Khairul said CCTV would be installed at immigration counters at entry points including KLIA, KLIA2, Johor Baru and Kota Kinabalu so that “activities at these counters can be closely monitored.”
This exercise, which is expected to start next year, is estimated to cost around RM20 thousand
On the recent arrests of immigration officers for their involvement in a union that provides “sealing facilities,” Khairul said he was disappointed in them and that the law must run its course to deal with these cases.
“When I took office last year, I told my officers that there would be no compromise if their actions caused the integrity of the department to be questioned.
“I will do what I can to ensure their well-being, but there will be zero tolerance for wrongdoing,” he said.
Last month, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission halted the activities of a union providing “sealing facilities” to aliens and illegal immigrants and caught dozens of union members, including 39 immigration officers, in a nationwide sting operation with code name Ops Selat.
The union is believed to have raised RM14.5 million in the past three years and is said to have provided “services” to at least 30,000 foreign workers and illegal immigrants.
Khairul said that when the new immigration system is up and running, passports will no longer need to be stamped and will instead be scanned into the system.
“No one can boast of offering stamping services. If the passports are stamped, we will know that something is not right.
“There will also be more on-the-spot checks at the counters to ensure the no cell phone policy is strictly followed. This is to prevent them from doing business with foreigners and illegal immigrants, ”he said.
Regulations dictate that counter service officers may not bring mobile phones.
For next year, Khairul said the immigration agenda would include ensuring the smooth implementation of the recalibration plan and setting a target of 250,000 illegal immigrants participating in a recalibration program.
“We will also focus on improving our services through the use of technology and making it mandatory for our services to be paid for by electronic or electronic payment,” he said.
Under the Labor Recalibration Plan, employers in four sectors will be able to legally employ undocumented foreign workers, while the Repatriation Recalibration Plan aims to encourage undocumented immigrants who volunteer to return to their home countries.
[ad_2]
