He says this could jeopardise national security and there will be no compromise in this matter, he told Bernama.
“If any immigration officer is found to be involved in such practices, the department will not hesitate to take firm action in accordance with the relevant acts and regulations.”
Zakaria did not rule out the possibility that such practices occurred at border entry points and urged the public to lodge reports directly with the department to enable investigations and further action to be taken.
He said all travellers, whether Malaysian citizens or foreigners, were required to present their passports or border passes during immigration checks to ensure their movements were recorded, as stipulated under Section 6 of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
“Every act of ‘hand-raising’, however trivial it may seem, is the beginning of a chain of leakages that could lead to disaster, including opening the door to organised crime syndicates and elements who can threaten national security.”
He said all procedures must be carried out strictly in accordance with the standard operating procedures and the law.
Zakaria acknowledged that even officers with a high integrity at border checkpoints face pressure from external parties and syndicates in carrying out their duties.
A crime analyst, Shahul Hamid Abdul Rahim, had earlier described lax border controls, including individuals being allowed to enter via special border lanes by merely raising their hands without valid documents, as a matter of deep concern as such practices could open the door to criminal activities, including smuggling, and pose a threat to national security.
Last November, police arrested eight people, including a civil servant at the Rantau Panjang ICQS Complex in Pasir Mas, for crossing the Malaysia-Thai border without valid travel documents by merely raising their hands while passing through the complex.
All eight, who were travelling in two luxury vehicles, were detained by officers from the Malaysian Border Control anded Protection Agency while en route from Sungai Golok, Thailand, to Kelantan.