PUTRAJAYA: Comm Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali will be the director-general of the newly formed Malaysian Checkpoint and Border Agency (MCBA) effective Wednesday (Jan 31).
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Comm Hazani was chosen for his experience and leadership.
"Before we can fully establish the agency, we must first appoint a director-general.
"I am confident that he will be able to lead this new agency successfully," he told reporters during a press conference at the ministry headquarters on Wednesday.
Comm Hazani will be tasked with preparing the legislation for the MCBA, which will be tabled in Parliament in March, Saifuddin said.
"After the legislation is tabled, we can start coordination between the agencies under the MCBA," he said.
Saifuddin said Comm Hazani has previous experience when he helped to form the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscomm) following the Lahad Datu incident.
"He was formerly the Bukit Aman internal security and public order department director, with more than 20,000 personnel and officers under him.
"He is senior and has vast experience. We need someone with such a commanding presence and skills," he said.
Meanwhile, Comm Hazani said he was honoured to be appointed MCBA director-general.
"It is a new experience for me but I will do my very best. I cherish this new challenge in my career," he said.
It is learnt the Bukit Aman post Comm Hazani vacated is yet to be filled.
It was previously reported that the Cabinet had chosen the Home Ministry as the lead for the implementation of the single border agency at the country's 141 entry points.
In November last year, the Home Minister said the Chief Secretary to the Government and the ministry's secretary-general were discussing the matter and would have a detailed plan soon.
He added the single border agency would have three main objectives – to coordinate the functions of agencies that are currently stationed at the entry points, improve the existing delivery system and to uphold integrity.
During the tabling of Budget 2024, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the government will set up a single border agency and allocate some RM20mil for the maintenance and repair, as well as acquire assets at all international borders of the country.
