PUTRAJAYA: The National Immigration Control System (SKIN) is scheduled to be fully operational by early next year to further boost security at all Malaysia's entry points.
Prestariang Bhd will provide SKIN, which will be adopted by the Immigration Department.
Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim said one of the core functions of SKIN was to complement the Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC) agreement signed between Malaysia and the United States on Thursday.
The PCSC is a key prerequisite for Malaysia to participate in the Visa Waiver programme (VWP) and the country had signed the Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6; an agreement needed for VWP.
"We expect SKIN to be fully operational early next year. It will be integrated at airports and the country’s entry points (at the borders) once the technical aspects have been ironed out," he said.
Alwi, who represented Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, earlier witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Immigration Department and Prestariang.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafa Ibrahim and Prestariang chief executive officer Dr Abu Hasan Ismail were the signatories.
Also present was Prestariang chairman Datuk Mohamed Yunus Ramli Abbas.
Alwi said the Home Ministry today issued a letter of intent to Prestariang to allow the company and the ministry to have more discussions to boost SKIN.
SKIN would give the immigration department better and faster system to screen those entering Malaysia, he added.