Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told the Dewan Rakyat the arrest was made less than 24 hours after the incident.
“Interrogations are ongoing,” the minister said in the lower house, in response to Siti Zailah Yusoff’s (PN-Rantau Panjang) query about the safety of border security officials in the country following the incident.
Nasaruddin, who escaped unharmed, was driving alone to perform the subuh prayers when two men dressed in black, riding a motorcycle and wearing full-face helmets, approached his vehicle and opened fire.
He chased them for about 1km before they fled into a nearby industrial area.
Police have not ruled out the possibility that the shooting was in retaliation for seizures recorded by AKPS’s Bukit Kayu Hitam branch this year, including 100 tonnes of rice and pork.
The case is being investigated under Section 3 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 for discharging a firearm with the intent to cause death or injury.
Saifuddin reiterated that the government would not compromise on threats to national security.
When contacted, Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah said he would hold a press conference tomorrow to provide an update on the investigation.
Entry permit reforms
Earlier, Saifuddin outlined the reforms undertaken by his ministry to the entry permit system, which involved clearing a backlog of 19,205 entry permit applications from 2013 to 2025.
He also referred to a 2025 policy, under which the foreign spouses of Malaysians need to have been married for at least three years – down from five – to apply for permanent residency.
The minister said that moving forward, entry permit applications could be made online through the National Integrated Immigration System once it is fully operational.
Responding to a supplementary question by Manndzri Nasib (BN-Tenggara) on how the government aligns its entry permit policy with the country’s strategic labour needs for high-impact sectors, Saifuddin said the Immigration Regulations 1963 stipulate that only those with professional expertise who can work in the country should be given entry passes.
He also said that expatriate passes and professional visit passes were issued to foreigners with professional expertise that could benefit the country.
However, he said the government ensured that these policies did not jeopardise local talents.
“Their professional expertise provides added value that local talents can learn from,” he said.