Port Klang freight forwarders up in arms

The Port Klang Customs Department comes under fire for failing to perform its duties due to lack of manpower.

PETALING JAYA: More than 100 freight forwarding agents based at Port Klang are crying foul because the Customs Department at the port lacks manpower to process documents of goods to be brought in or taken out.

Port Klang is the country’s largest sea port and the nation’s most important gateway to import and export goods.

Sources told FMT that the freight forwarders held a protest at the entrance of Port Klang’s North Port this morning to air their grouses.

“Previously, it used to take us barely two hours to complete the documentation for goods but now it is taking two days or more. The reason given to us is that the department lacks manpower,” he said.

On March 28, a special task force made up of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Inland Revenue Board, the Customs Department and Bank Negara officers carried out a joint operation where 62 Customs staff were arrested.

FMT learnt that out of the 62, nearly 40 of them were based at the Port Klang Customs office.

“Obviously with so many staff arrested they would not have the manpower… but this is not our problem. They should have back-up staff because Port Klang is the country’s import and export hub.

“If we go down, then the country goes down too,” said an irate forwarding agent who declined to be named.

Low morale

Meanwhile, a Customs officer attached to North Port told FMT that morale among Customs staff in Port Klang had been on the downtrend since the arrest.

“Those arrested were mainly from West and North Ports. We cannot cope with the heavy workload. Those who were arrested have yet to return to work and now we have received news of the death of a senior Customs official,” he said, declining to be named.

This morning, Selangor Customs Department assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, 56, fell to his death from the Kuala Lumpur MACC headquarters.

He was one of those arrested during the March 28 swoop.

MACC director of investigations Mustafar Ali told the media that the deceased jumped from the third floor of the building while waiting for a MACC investigating officer to question him.

“Now even those who did not take any bribe are making noise. They are not giving their 100% at work because they feel it is just not worth it. It would take a while to repair this damage,” the Customs source said.

“Customs officers are also angry with the death of the assistant director… we just have to wait and see,” he added.

‘No revolt’

Meanwhile, Klang MP Charles Santiago said that the public had lost faith in the MACC.

“They have already lost it (trust in MACC) with Teoh Beng Hock. Now the Malay community is going to start spitting on their (MACC) faces,” he told FMT at Parliament today.

The DAP MP asked why had the MACC allowed someone placed under their custody to die.

“What were they doing when this happened? This was a senior government officer. You can’t have someone dying under custody!”

Santiago added that if this was the case, nobody was going to submit themselves to any enforcement agency for questioning.

“It is not safe to be taken in for investigation anymore,” he said, referring to deaths occurring under police custody.

The DAP leader later confirmed to FMT that there was no revolt at the Customs building in Port Klang.

A rumour had erupted earlier over Twitter that Customs officers were causing a ruckus over the death of their comrade.

“There is no protest going on,” he said over the phone from Klang.

Nevertheless, Santiago said that Customs officers were not working at their fullest capacity on purpose.

He said this was because many of their colleagues, including officers from other agencies, had been detained by the authorities in the last few weeks. - FMT