KUALA LUMPUR: Targeted, risk-based screening of high-risk flights, passengers, crew and baggage will be implemented immediately at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and other international entry points.
E-vetting and access controls will also be tightened for airline crew, ground-handling staff, vendors, contractors and all personnel requiring access to restricted security zones.
These are among 17 recommendations approved by the Cabinet following a joint memorandum by the Home and Transport ministries on Wednesday.
“Drug screening for aviation personnel will also be enhanced, including pre-employment, periodic and random screening of pilots, cabin crew and relevant staff,” the ministries said in a joint statement yesterday.
The measures also include increasing the visible presence of security personnel, with more police deployed at strategic locations as a deterrent.
Additional General Operations Force (GOF) personnel will also be deployed during each shift at KLIA Terminals 1 and 2.
“The government will further strengthen the sharing of security and intelligence information through the National Immigration Command Centre.
“A Home and Transport ministries Technical Committee, jointly chaired by the secretaries-general of both ministries, will also be established immediately to coordinate implementation, resolve cross-agency issues and monitor the overall action plan,” it said.
These six immediate measures form part of a broader 17-point plan detailing short-, medium- and long-term actions to bolster security across the nation’s borders.
“The medium-term phase will focus on developing technology, assets and human resources, while the long-term phase will involve transforming systems, information sharing and governance, as well as expanding the measures to international entry points nationwide based on risk levels and the suitability of each location,” the statement added.
Both ministries stressed that all 17 recommendations will be executed professionally and legally, balancing security needs against data privacy, civil rights and aviation operations.
The security overhaul follows several high-profile cases that have raised concerns over border integrity, including the arrest of a Malaysian citizen in Indonesia for alleged drug trafficking.
On July 29, a Malaysian commercial pilot was arrested at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta after Indonesian authorities found more than 70,000 ecstasy pills weighing about 25kg in his luggage, as well as 4g of methamphetamine in his carry-on belongings.
