28 September 2011
Customs Department director-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Khalid Yusuf said international criminals were still able to enter the country because of certain “loopholes”.
Certain facilities at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) will be redesigned to better monitor travellers entering the country.
“The ‘loopholes’ need to be plugged to also prevent illegal activities such as money-laundering and drug trafficking,” he said yesterday.
“For example, there are two red and two green counters at the KLIA arrival hall but in most countries, there are only one of each,” he added.
Khalid, who was speaking to reporters after a meeting with state department heads at the Penang Customs Department office in Seberang Jaya, added that having only one counter would make it easier for officers to monitor travellers.
“We are unable to check every traveller coming through the Customs checkpoint as this will cause a delay, and affect the tourism industry.
“Only those fitting our risk assessment profiles will be checked,” he said.
He said he had recently attended a meeting to discuss the redesign of KLIA, LCCT and klia2, and would attend another meeting soon.
On another matter, Khalid said to date, the department had collected RM21.8bil in duty compared to RM20.4bil in the corresponding period last year, adding that they were confident of achieving their target of RM30bil by year end.
He said the department also conducted 7,799 raids this year and seized goods worth RM331mil with RM236mil in unpaid duties.
Source: The Star, 28 September 2011.
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