Immigration Department will not protect personnel involved in corruption

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian Immigration Department will not protect any of its personnel suspected of corruption and integrity violations and is ready to take action at the departmental level based on existing legal provisions.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said this in reference to several local news reports on corruption allegations against several of the department's staff.

"The Immigration Department and the Home Affairs Ministry will not compromise with any of our officers found to be involved in corruption, whether it occurs at the International Airport (KLIA) or any immigration office throughout the country.

"The department is leaving the investigation on the allegations entirely to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC),” he said in a statement today.

Ruslin said the department is always in contact, discussing and sharing information with the MACC to ensure that the investigation process could be carried out more transparently without any interference from outside parties.

Ruslin said the Immigration Department is also committed to improving its standard operating procedures (SOPs) to provide the best service to citizens and foreign visitors entering Malaysia.

Today, local media reported that there are agents asking for up to RM18,000 to approve the entry of foreign tourists who do not meet the entry requirements upon arrival at KLIA.

The discovery was detected by MACC in the preliminary investigation regarding the commotion at the KLIA arrival hall involving the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing and several Immigration officers. - Bernama