PORT DICKSON: The Immigration Department will station more officers at key entry points into the country in Kuala Lumpur and Johor to reduce congestion in those locations.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said initially 100 officers, who were among those that ended training today, would be stationed at strategic locations, including the Sultan Iskandar Building and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex in Johor, while another 100 officers would be assigned to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) 1 and 2 from tomorrow.
"Most importantly, we will assign them to these locations as there were shortages in terms of assignment... Besides the quick response team we established ad hoc previously, I'm optimistic their assignments will solve the congestion issue at the entry points.
"We have 140 entry points. We can add more (officers) in other such areas as we are determined to ease congestion. Assigning them there is a priority compared with other areas," he said after attending the end-of-training ceremony at the Malaysian Immigration Academy here today.
The 200 officers are among 222 who finished their training today. The remainder will be assigned to the Putrajaya Security and Passport Division, the Malaysian Immigration Academy and the Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor and Sarawak Immigration Departments.
Saifuddin said the Immigration Department contributed RM5.2 billion to the national collection through its services, levies, and other programmes, including the workforce recalibration programme.
He said the department's contribution to the country was not only in terms of revenue and an economic growth stimulus but also in terms of security and public order.
He said that from Jan 1 to May 18, the department conducted 3,147 enforcement operations with 35,387 individuals checked and 21,125 illegal immigrants detained. --Bernama