KUALA LUMPUR: More than one billion ringgit will be spent to replace the archaic Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs), which has become increasingly prone to hacking, says Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.
The Home Minister’s announcement comes just days after a syndicate involved in hacking the MyIMMs was crippled by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Immigration Department.
“The new National Integrated Immigration System (NIISe) will cost over a billion to develop, and will replace MyIMMs, which is over 20 years old, ” he said at the ceremony to mark the start of NIISe’s development here yesterday.
He noted the current system has been in use by the department for such a long time that it has become prone to manipulation.
“Even if we upgrade the present system, it would have been in use by numerous officers for such a long time that their passwords would have become known to those seeking loopholes in the system, ” he said, citing the recent case where the department’s IT system had been compromised by a syndicate.
Hamzah said NISSe would be fully developed within 54 months, or by 2024.
“The company developing the system will work with the Immigration Department to prioritise the areas which need to be developed first, ” he added.
Asked if MyIMMs would still be vulnerable to hacking, he said authorities are now better equipped with the know-how on how to deal with such problems.
Hamzah noted the new system will have better security features and will be monitored by a centralised National Immigration Command centre.
He added that NISSe will provide the department with real time data while also allowing for online services and automation.
He said the system is also capable of performing facial and biometric recognition while conducting advanced passenger screening (APS).
On Tuesday, five suspects which included a Datuk, were arrested in a nationwide joint operation by MACC and the Immigration Department.
The five men, aged 33 to 44, belonged to a syndicate that hacked into MyIMMs to produce over 21,378 forged temporary foreign workers passes (PLKS) over the past few years.
MACC also seized property and cash totaling RM25.5mil, other than freezing 147 bank accounts of 30 individuals and 11 companies.
