Immigration Dept introduces new system to cut corruption

Immigration Department director general Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim (centre) showing the rules and regulation of Malaysian Passport during the press conference on sex blogger Alvin Tan and Ali Abdul Jalil case in Putrajaya. MOHD SAHAR MISNI/ The Star

PETALING JAYA: The Immigration Department is putting an end to cash transactions at its counters by the end of the year.

The move is among its measures to be more client-friendly, to eradicate corruption and strengthen the integrity of the department.

Immigration director-general Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim (pic) said all cash payments would be replaced with online payments.

Among the categories that involve cash transactions currently are getting a foreign worker’s permit, passport – new and renewals, visa, expatriate pass, PR pass, border pass and a student pass.

He said the public would have the option of making online payments or paying by bank draft and maybe through vending machines located at Immigration offices.

Going cashless, said Mustafa, was the best way to achieve the department’s motto of Cepat, Mudah dan Berintegriti (Fast, Easy and with Integrity) and to enable its clients to deal with its staff without any negative perceptions because there would be no more cash exchanged at the counter.

Allegations of people slipping extra notes in with the actual fee for the transaction have been around for some time.

Mustafa admitted that the department had a problem with a lack of integrity but likened it to a few bad apples spoiling the whole bunch.

For example, he said, only eight of its 13,000 Immigration officers had been detained recently for selling Social Visit Passes to foreigners in Sabah.

“As such, the Immigration Department plans to abolish cash payments at its counters by the end of the year; this will eradicate allegations of corruption, and strengthen the integrity of the department and its officers in providing services to its clients,” he said in an exclusive interview with mStar Online.

When he took over the helm of the department on Nov 17 last year, Mustafa had said that focusing on integrity was among the six main strategies for the improvement of services.

Mustafa said once an online payment system was implemented, it would be more convenient for the public because they would not have to crowd at the counters or be at its office early to get a number, and it would prevent the public from being cheated by agents or middlemen.

Since Jan 5, the Immigration Department has implemented the online renewal of the Foreign Workers Permits (PLKS) via MyEG and other applications involving expatriates can also be done online.

He said online payment was already available but very few used the service because it was optional.

If bank drafts were used, the details of the application including all charges would be stated on the department’s website to make it easier for the public, he added.

If the online system could not be fully implemented by the end of the year, Mustafa said the department would install vending machines as a final option.

However, he said bank drafts and vending machines would not be as convenient as the online method as clients would still have to go to the counter to complete their transaction.

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