PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) needs police expertise to curb various issues at the country’s entry points, especially contraband smuggling, says Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain (pic).
The AKPS director-general said as the sole enforcement agency at the country’s entry points, it needs the expertise, experience and manpower of the police to cripple smuggling.
“The police could play a more significant role in strengthening the agency, especially in areas requiring specialised skills and operational experience.
“While AKPS has officers and personnel drawn from six other core agencies with their own strengths and expertise, trained and experienced manpower from the police is greatly needed.
Photo — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
“Such a move could potentially have a much greater impact on individuals, cartels or drug syndicates if closer cooperation or a more systematic approach is implemented between the police and AKPS,” he said in a special session with the media recently.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said that because the police are not designated as a core agency, the deployment of personnel to AKPS is limited.
He said this has affected intelligence-gathering and enforcement efforts to combat drug smuggling at the country’s main entry points.
“Police officers possess extensive operational knowledge, established networks and enforcement experience that would greatly benefit AKPS.
“I can only voice my views and make the request. Ultimately, decisions on policy matters rest with the country’s top leadership,” he added.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily, who joined AKPS about six months ago, however, noted that discussions on whether the police should be made a core agency began as early as 2018.
He stressed that efforts to strengthen AKPS should be carried out in stages, beginning with human resource development.
