DG: Immigration coping with huge Raya crowds in KLIA

Pictures, videos of unusually long queues at immigration counters are being shared widely on social media but DG Mustafar Ali says its normal for festive periods.

PETALING JAYA: The immigration department beefed up its workforce at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in preparation for the expected higher volume of travellers going overseas due to the long Hari Raya holiday weekend.

Its director-general Mustafar Ali said this in response to the photos and videos of large crowds seen inside the airport, resulting in long queues at the immigration counters.

“I have ordered all counters to be open at every festive season because we know there is going to be major congestion from the larger number of travellers during the holidays,” he told FMT.

Calling the large crowd a “norm” during such festive periods, he said the airport is affected in the same way as the highways and roads which are also packed with travellers heading home or for vacation during this holiday period which ends Tuesday.

The New Straits Times reported that pictures and videos of the huge crowds queuing at the airport’s immigration counters this morning were being shared widely on social media.

A traveller who was interviewed by the daily complained that the lines were not moving and people were getting annoyed.

It was also reported that some passengers had to appeal to those at the front to let them pass first as their flights were taking off soon.

Meanwhile, Mustafar’s deputy, Ibrahim Abdullah told NST that the huge crowds were also due to travellers who checked-in early being joined by those who arrived late for their flights.

He urged passengers who are late for their flights to politely request to cut queue, saying travellers at the front are generally obliging to make way in such cases. -FMT