ALOR STAR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will beef up operations at the Malaysia-Thailand border checkpoint with the extension of its operations to 20 hours from next month.
Kedah MACC director Datuk Mohd Fauzi Ahmad this was aimed at curbing possible corruption and abuse of power among the law enforcement agencies staff at the checkpoint.
He said the longer operational hours might increase the risks of corruption acts and abuse of power.
He said the state MACC would work closely with its headquarters to carry out surveillance and intelligence gathering at the checkpoint.
"We have requested for an additional manpower to beef up operations following the extension of the operation hours.
"However, we have no plans to station our officers permanently at the checkpoint, only to carry out more operations there," he said after witnessing the corruption-free pledge by the state Malaysia Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) here today.
State LKIM deputy director Noohisyam Arshad led 120 officers to take the pledge.
Fauzi said the move to beef up operations was necessary although to date even though there were no serious cases of corruption or abuse of power among enforcement personnel at checkpoints in Kedah.
On a similar note, Fauzi hoped that the corruption-free pledge made by government officers in the state would also contribute to lower corruption cases at the border.
He said so far 92 government departments and agencies in Kedah had taken the pledge.
It was reported that the Federal Government had agreed to extend the operation hour from 18 hours now to 24 hours from Jan 2019.
It was also reported that the border checkpoint operations in Bukit Kayu Hitam to enter Danok in southern Thailand, would be extended to 20 hours with the completion of the second border checkpoint complex.