KUALA LUMPUR: A senior officer from the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) has been selected to represent Malaysia in a prestigious training programme conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States.
Marie Ajeng, 45, who serves as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 AKPS chief, will attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, from April 8 to June 18.
She is the first female AKPS officer to be chosen for the programme, which will involve 250 law enforcement officers from across the United States, as well as participants from 25 other countries.
AKPS said Marie’s selection reflects the agency’s commitment to providing equal opportunities for female officers to participate in high-level international training programmes.
“The initiative is aimed at exposing our officers to international standard operating procedures in the execution of their duties,” the agency said on Tuesday (April 7).
It added that participation in the programme demonstrates global recognition of the professionalism of AKPS officers and underscores Malaysia’s ongoing commitment to strengthening border security in line with international standards.
Marie is among five enforcement officers from Southeast Asia selected for the training, alongside representatives from Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Taiwan.
She will undergo training in modern forensic methods, technology-based detection of document forgery, as well as international strategies for counter-terrorism prevention and response.
AKPS noted that such exposure is vital to enhancing the agency’s ability to respond to increasingly sophisticated security threats.
“The programme is comprehensive and intensive, covering a wide spectrum of training including strategic management, operational leadership, investigative techniques and high-tech intelligence,” it said.
The agency further noted that in today’s increasingly complex global security landscape, threats at national entry points are no longer conventional.
“These include digital document forgery, cybercrime, human trafficking and cross-border terrorism threats.
“More significantly, the programme goes beyond classroom learning by fostering strategic interaction and the exchange of experiences with enforcement officers from around the world, while building a global professional network,” it added.
AKPS said participation in such programmes would enhance the knowledge and capabilities of its officers, who would later serve as internal subject matter experts and contribute to improving standard operating procedures (SOPs) and national border security policies.
In addition to the FBI National Academy, AKPS has consistently sent its officers for training in countries such as the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Australia and Sri Lanka as part of its continuous professional development efforts.
The initiative is in line with the vision of AKPS director-general Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, who has called for the agency to be led in accordance with international standards comparable to those of developed nations.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily himself is an alumnus of the FBI National Academy, having attended the programme in 2006. Other AKPS officers who have undergone the training include Port Klang AKPS commander Deputy Comm Datuk Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal in 2018 and the agency’s integrity unit chief Asrul Ridzuan Ahmad Rustami in 2023.
