KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Checkpoints and Border Agency (MCBA) will take over five entry points beginning Feb 1 next year.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said MCBA would commence its operations in phases, with Phase One starting on Jan 1 with the takeover of the Rantau Panjang entry point.
On Feb 1, he said, MCBA would takeover another four entry points, including the Kuala Lumpur International Airport terminals 1 and 2, Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) complexes at the Sultan Iskandar Building, Johor Baru Sentral, Tanjung Pelepas Port, and Bukit Kayu Hitam.
"The Malaysia Border and Protection Agency Bill has been presented and passed in this House and subsequently in the Senate on Aug 1 last year.
"The bill is awaiting Royal Assent and the subsequent enactment process.
"In terms of operations, we will commence in phases. Phase One will involve the takeover of five entry points, starting Feb 1.
"We will begin on Jan 1 with the entry point at Rantau Panjang.
"Following that, on Feb 1, we will include KLIA terminals 1 and 2, including the cargo complex, then the ICQS complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building, including Johor Baru Sentral. The third will be the Tanjung Pelepas Port in Johor, and the fourth will be the ICQS complex at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah.
"Thus, we will start on Jan 1 with Rantau Panjang, and on Feb 1 we will add four more... making a total of five for this first phase," he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor (Perikatan Nasional-Ketereh) on the current status of the MCBA operation and when it is expected to be fully implemented.
Saifuddin said the five entry points were chosen as they have different demographic characteristics and risks.
"The operations of this agency at the entry points in the first phase will enable it to conduct analyses and make improvements before we roll out all the other entry points.
"Therefore, preparations to commence operations at these five entry points involve developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for various departments and agencies," he said, adding that it would be established by gathering input from the various agencies operating at the border.
"We will also develop the standing orders from the director-general for our adoption," he said.
He added that MCBA would also focus on resolving human resources, asset and financial issues to ensure a smooth transition in the operations at these entry points.
Currently, the agency has 78 employees, and when it is fully rolled out, it would have 13,420.
"That is the targeted number, and simultaneously, asset acquisition will also occur in phases," he said.