Immigration officers should wear body cams, change shifts regularly

 

Following the commotion at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) involving a minister last year, the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform made several suggestions to improve workflow at the airport.

Among the key suggestions, PSSC member Khoo Poay Tiong said, was for the immigration officers working at the airport to wear body cameras.

“We also suggested for the Immigration Department to switch their officers every three or six months for greater transparency and accountability,” the Kota Melaka MP said during a press conference at Parliament today.

Khoo was referring to a commotion at KLIA Terminal 1 last year which involved Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing.

Tiong later clarified that he was defending a Chinese national who was allegedly being detained without any reason.

Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong

He claimed that some immigration officers had requested bribes of up to RM3,000 from detained tourists in order to be released, including a flight ticket back to their home country.

Subsequently, sources close to the case revealed that MACC officers recorded statements from Tiong and the tourist.

Investigators also found out that an “agent” had asked for over RM15,000 to help the woman get through immigration checks.

On that note, PSSC chairperson William Leong said his team had also suggested that the Immigration Department update how it deals with those coming into Malaysia because of changing travelling patterns.

Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Human Rights, Election and Institutional Reform William Leong

For starters, he mentioned that officers must be more flexible and need not check for a physical return ticket, sufficient cash amounts, or hotel addresses due to the rising use of digital tickets, e-wallets and credit cards as well as AirBnb units located in residential areas.

Leong added that the committee also recommended that immigration officers not confiscate phones from those detained.

Met officers over HRW report

Meanwhile, Leong said his team had met with Human Rights Watch (HRW) over its recent report on the conditions and treatment of undocumented migrants in Malaysia.

“Officers from the Home Ministry and Immigration Department were also present at the meeting,” Leong said without divulging details.

Earlier this month, HRW released a report which claimed that ill-treatment and inadequate medical care have led to hundreds of deaths in immigration detention centres.

The report, titled “We Can’t See The Sun, Malaysia’s Arbitrary Detention of Migrants and Refugees”, detailed how officers mete out punishments for noise, smoking, asking questions or raising concerns about the conditions, talking to the adjacent block, fighting or for having cell phones or others.

According to the report, 1,467 children were detained at 20 immigration detention centres across Malaysia as of September 2023.

But Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail later claimed that HRW could not provide evidence to the allegations made. - Mkini