A comprehensive plan to strengthen controls at Malaysia’s entry points involving multiple ministries and agencies will be presented to the Cabinet tomorrow.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the plan was drawn up following a Cabinet directive to strengthen controls at the country’s entry points and prevent incidents that could tarnish Malaysia’s image from recurring.
He said the Cabinet paper on the matter was signed yesterday and would be presented jointly with Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
“I would like to thank the Chief Secretary and all those involved. Just two weeks after I conveyed the Cabinet’s directive during the meeting, the Cabinet instructed us to put forward a comprehensive plan to improve controls at the country’s entry points involving various agencies.
“Alhamdulillah, I signed the Cabinet paper just yesterday and, God willing, tomorrow I will present it together with my colleague, the Transport Minister, as there are elements under the jurisdiction of the Transport Ministry,” he said.
Saifuddin was speaking at the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly today.
On August 7, the media reported that the Cabinet had directed the Home Ministry and Transport Ministry to submit a comprehensive plan to improve security controls at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) within two weeks.
Elaborating on the plan, Saifuddin said one of the key areas being addressed was inter-agency coordination, particularly to ensure that government agencies no longer operate separately or work “in silos”.
“Within these two weeks, I appreciate the cooperation of the Chief Secretary, heads of agencies under the Home Ministry, as well as agencies under the Transport Ministry and other agencies, which has enabled us to present a plan tomorrow.
“There must be good coordination. In other words, there can no longer be an element of working in silos,” he said.
The proposed measures are expected to strengthen coordination between agencies operating at the country’s entry points while improving overall security and operational efficiency.
