KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Border Security Agency (Aksem) has been dissolved and the responsibility of safeguarding the country’s borders lies with the police after the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (July 18) passed the Aksem (Dissolution) Bill 2021.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed said former Aksem officials would be absorbed into other enforcement agencies.
He said all functions of Aksem would be taken over by the police, through the General Operations Force (GOF) under the Internal Security and Public Order Department.
“The source of authority enshrined in the Malaysian Border Security Agency Act 2017 (Act 799) would be continued and enforced by existing acts like the Police Act 196, Immigration Act 1959/63, Customs Act 1967 and other legislations that are in force.
"To ensure the purpose of the establishment of Act 799 on the importance of coordinating border security actions being maintained, the functions of the High-Level Committee and Coordinating Committee enshrined under this act will be implemented by the National Border Security Strengthening Committee and the National Border Security Coordination Committee,” he said when winding up the debate on the bill.
Aksem was set up on Dec 29, 2017 and comprised three main enforcement agencies namely the police, the Immigration Department and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department.
On another matter, Ismail said findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the discovery of transit camps and mass graves in Wang Kelian, Perlis were now available on the Home Ministry’s website.
He said the report can be accessed via the https://www.moha.gov.my/
“The report was tabled to the Cabinet on Jan 29, 2020 and it was released for public view on June 24, 2020,” he said.
A total of 138 dead bodies were discovered and 148 graves were excavated.
“A taxi driver and six illegal migrants were detained under Section 26 (a)Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants,” he said.
He said the taxi driver was fined RM20,000 for trafficking offences.
Ismail said authorities had also taken action on the caretaker of the camp and the traffickers in 2016.
He added that Malaysian authorities were also seeking the extradition of ten people in relation to the case from Thailand.
