PETALING JAYA: The Customs Department’s 2025 revenue collection has exceeded expectations, with a total of RM73.27bil recorded as of Tuesday (Dec 16), slightly surpassing the Finance Ministry's revised projection of RM73.26bil, says Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin.
Its director-general said its enforcement division remains committed to strengthening legal compliance in combating smuggling that could threaten national security and the economy.
"The Customs Department has successfully collected RM73.27bil, exceeding the initial projection by RM6.02bil, or 108.95%.
"In other words, we surpassed both the initial target (RM67.25bil) and the revised target (RM73.26bil) set by the Finance Ministry for 2025 revenue collection," she said in a statement.
According to Anis Rizana, in addition to daily enforcement activities, the Customs Department conducted 122 operations involving a total of 6,597 cases as of Nov 30.
"We will not compromise in combating any smuggling activities that could affect the well-being of the public and the nation," she said.
While the total number of cases was slightly lower than the 6,705 recorded during the same period in 2024, the value of seizures, including taxes, increased by 17.52% to RM1,800.33mil from RM1,531.87mil.
She said the Customs Department has shifted its enforcement strategy from focusing on the number of cases to prioritising outcomes and the value of seizures.
From January to November 2025, the top five commodities with the highest seizure values were drugs, vehicles, cigarettes, alcohol and beer, and firecrackers and fireworks.
Drugs accounted for 642 cases totalling 6,949.42kg, with a seizure value of RM478.50mil, followed by vehicles with 502 cases, comprising 6,475 units, with a value of RM118.37mil and taxes amounting to RM65.06mil
Cigarettes recorded a total of 2,248 cases, or 526.82 million sticks, with a value of RM96.30mil and taxes of RM364.18mil.
Alcohol and beer were seized in 870 cases, totalling 60.50 million litres, valued at RM33.53mil, with taxes of RM86.08mil.
Firecrackers and fireworks accounted for 132 cases, or 482,656kg, with a seizure value of RM11.24mil and taxes of RM10.54mil.
Anis Rizana also expressed gratitude to stakeholders including the Finance Ministry, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), police, and media partners for their support in revenue collection and enforcement efforts.
She also urged the public to cooperate in combating smuggling by providing information via the Customs Toll-Free Line at 1-800-88-8855 or contacting the nearest Customs office, assuring that all informants’ identities would remain confidential.
