KOTA BHARU: A personnel shortage, excessive workloads, and the absence of round-the-clock CCTV surveillance have been identified as potential weaknesses enabling security breaches at national entry points.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said that a lack of officers could compromise the effectiveness of operations at inspection counters by increasing daily workloads, potentially leading to fatigue and diminished focus among on-duty personnel.
"Indirectly, this situation could create vulnerabilities for security breaches if not managed effectively. The department is constantly striving to optimise staffing at all service counters to ensure adherence to standard operating procedures," he told Bernama recently.
Beyond staffing, uninterrupted 24-hour CCTV monitoring has also been flagged as a critical mechanism for prevention, surveillance and quality control, especially at high-risk locations.
The absence of such a system, he said, would undermine accountability and make it difficult to detect early signs of misconduct or procedural violations.
As a proactive measure, the officer monitoring system via CCTV has been fully operational at all national gateways since October 2024, allowing for oversight of immigration officers' performance and facilitating immediate intervention in the event of non-compliance.
"This measure supports our commitment to strengthening integrity, transparency, and operational efficiency at the nation's entry points. It ensures that national security and sovereignty remain protected," he added.
Regarding the use of body cameras to mitigate petty corruption and potential abuse of authority, Zakaria confirmed the department has deployed Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) to officers at key gateways and within enforcement units.
He said a further procurement of 614 units has been completed and distributed across six international airports: Kuala Lumpur (Terminals 1 and 2), Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Penang and Langkawi.
He added that using BWCs in line with established protocols would help increase accountability, transparency, and public trust in the immigration service. – Bernama
