Armed Forces to help recruit young, capable personnel
KLANG: The Armed Forces have pledged their commitment to assist the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) in strengthening their ranks, says AKPS director-general Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said he had met with Armed Forces chief Jen Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman to discuss the matter.
“I was fortunate to meet him this morning, and he has expressed full commitment to assist us.
“What I want to make clear is that any veteran personnel we absorb will be young and active enough to perform duties in the field. We will also match their expertise to our needs.
“Here in Port Klang, for example, personnel from the navy may be more suitable given their experience with ships.
“These are the factors we must take into consideration,” he said during a press conference at Port Klang yesterday.
On the issue of e-waste being illegally imported into the country, Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the presence of Port Klang AKPS commander Deputy Comm Datuk Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal has already shown results.
“After a month here, he will be able to identify gaps and weaknesses in daily operations,” said Comm Mohd Shuhaily, citing a recent example of a container suspected to carry contraband, which had used declared items inside to evade scanners. Such containers now require full inspections.
Regarding fireworks smuggling ahead of the upcoming holiday celebrations, he said the matter is under close surveillance.
“So far, there have been no findings, but we continue to monitor consignments from countries likely to export fireworks here. The main methods of smuggling usually involve illegal routes,” he said.
Earlier, Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar visited Port Klang to meet with AKPS and review ongoing efforts against e-waste smuggling.
“I was informed that between Jan 27 and 30, AKPS found 12 out of 61 containers inspected to contain e-waste and related materials, including 80 tonnes of high- value copper.
“Economic crimes like this directly affect national revenue and require integrated commitment from all stakeholders to strengthen enforcement, close loopholes, prevent manipulation and ensure the rule of law is upheld,” he said.
Mohd Dusuki added that e-waste is often declared as “scrap” or “used goods”, which demands higher technical verification and consistent supporting action from technical and enforcement agencies.
“Several legal aspects were discussed during the meeting.
“Besides the AKPS Act, we also reviewed the Customs Act and Criminal Procedure Code to ensure efficient operations.
“I believe the current framework is sufficient, but we need to look further into its implementation,” he said.
