MACC MUST READ : Latheefah Uncovers A Very Old "Close One Eye" Situation At Bukit Kayu Hitam

THERE IS A SOALAN MYSTERY AT THE END.

First the news :

MACC uncovered serious breach of security at Perlis-Thailand border
believed to be corruption involving some border security personnel
chief commissioner Latheefa said MACC obtained security tapes 
she said the corruption had been going on for a long time

corruption among enforcement personnel, smuggling activities rampant

11-minute recording was shown to the media.

footage shows individuals carrying white-coloured sacks dash to border walls
accomplices in Thailand wait to receive packages

contents are ketum leaves 

RM100 per kg in Thailand compared to RM18 locally

simple and easy these things happen at border because of corruption Latheefa

My comments :  DONT FORGET  THERE IS A SOALAN MYSTERY AT THE END.

Ok this is not anything new. 

From February 2011 until February 2015, I served two terms as a Penasihat to the MACC's Panel Perundingan Dan Pencegahan Rasuah.

That's me accepting the watikah in 2011.

When I left the MACC in 2015 I recall my last monthly meeting in February 2015 where we discussed the problem of people smuggling at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Border crossing and Duty Free Zone area. 

Actually we had discussed it earlier and at my last meeting the Panel was briefed by the MACC 'undercover' boys about their investigations.

You have to look at the Google map cutouts here. This is Malaysia's Bukit Kayu Hitam (lower part) and the Thai immigration checkpoint (Danok) in the upper part. 

That solid white line is the border - Google maps has misplaced it by about 50 - 100 meters north, cutting right through the Thai immigration building.

You can see the Zon Duty Free shopping building too.

Here is a zoom in of the Danok Immigration point. Note the sizeable car parks on both sides. That was where a lot of the action took place. 

At night the Thai people smugglers would bring their cargo (usually women) into the car park on the Danok side. There were holes in the border fences. The women would be walked through the fences to the car park on the Bukit Kayu Hitam side where the vans would be waiting - inside the Bukit Kayu Hitam complex !! Then from there they would disappear into Malaysia. So this was going on FOUR years ago when I left the MACC. Actually it has been going on for much longer - ever since the Bukit Kayu Hitam complex was built.

DONT FORGET  THE SOALAN MYSTERY AT THE END.

Now why wasn't that torn border fence repaired, in 2015? 

The operations of the Bukit Kayu Hitam Duty Free complex had been privatised. The private Operator said he could not touch the torn fence because it was an international border and it was not his responsibility.

The Immigration, Customs, Police etc said since the fence was part of the Duty Free Zone, it was not their responsibility. This tai chi has been going on for years.

Now here is THE SOALAN MYSTERY.   

Why would people smugglers from Thailand, daun ketum smugglers from Malaysia want to conduct their business right in the center of an international border control checkpoint at Bukit Kayu Hitam - Danok ? 

Within the heavily manned and "heavily guarded" Customs, Immigration and Police checkpoints on both sides of the border?

What type of stupid smugglers are these?

Why not smuggle the people and the daun ketum through the jungle somewhere along the Thai Malaysia border? 

Are they insane? No they are not.

The reason is simple. At any local restaurant or nasi kandar outlet the cashier station is always placed in front, near the exit. So that the cashier fellow can detect anyone who is trying to leave the restaurant without paying.

The same concept applies here. There are obviously people inside the Bukit Kayu Hitam complex (as well as on the Thai side) whose job is to count the number of women being smuggled in, the number of daun ketum sacks thrown across the fence etc. So that they get paid their cut. So that they do not get cheated.  The cashier has to be paid. 

This means everyone from the stray cats in the Duty Free Zone, the border control boys, their bosses in Bukit Kayu Hitam, THEIR bosses and THEIR bosses are ALL in the loop. 

This level of corruption may begin at Bukit Kayu Hitam but it certainly does not end there.

Latheefah must trace this corruption all the way.  
You do not have to travel to Perlis to crack this.

JUST FOLLOW THE MONEY.

Finally a word of advice to Latheefah. 
Please be careful. 
Recall that Customs Director who was shot in Putrajaya. 
Until today no one knows who shot him.
Do take extra precautions.