KUALA LUMPUR: The Customs Department has implemented a comprehensive duty rotation of its staff posted at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in a major step to strengthen integrity and transparency.
KLIA Customs director Zulkifli Muhammad said the rotation was part of the department's actions to maintain accountability and discipline following challenges with corruption and crimes involving international syndicates.
He said that apart from the work rotation, the department has also strengthened its whistleblower protection policy to protect the identity of individuals who report any officer misconduct.
"Other measures include the implementation of regular urine tests to ensure officers are free from drug use, as addiction to illegal substances has been identified as a cause that can undermine an officer's integrity.
"The use of body cameras among airport operations officers has also shown a positive impact when the statistics of complaints from passengers and the community have been found to be decreasing," he said when appearing as a guest on Jendela Fikir on Wednesday (Jan 21).
Commenting on the monitoring mechanism, Zulkifli emphasised the effectiveness of the surprise visits personally led by Customs director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin, who has so far made 88 visits to various stations.
"These surprise visits are not intended to find faults, but rather as an early preventive measure to detect risks and problems of officers," he said.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli said the 2026 World Customs Day celebration scheduled to be held next Monday at the Cyber Event Hall, Cyberjaya, will be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said, this year, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) has adopted the theme “Customs Protecting Security Through Vigilance and Commitment”, to reflect the reality of the department's increasingly broad and challenging role in facing the fast-moving and complex global trade landscape. - Bernama
