Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed pointed out that the country’s borders still saw smugglers and criminals sneaking in due to the lack of coordination among the relevant agencies.
“Aksem’s goal is to ensure integrated enforcement and instil fear in criminals so that criminal activity is under control,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.
Among other things, he said the act would allow agency personnel on duty at the border to be merged and placed under the supervision of a commandant.
“We hope the Bill can be tabled in Parliament this time but time seems to be running short. So, it may be tabled at the next session.”
If passed, the act will be enforced at the Malaysia-Thailand, Sarawak-Kalimantan and Sabah-Kalimantan borders.
In May, the ministry announced it would draw up special legislation focusing on the jurisdiction of border control duties by Aksem.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said the ministry would refer to the Australian Border Force Act 2015 and the United Kingdom Borders Act 2007 in drafting the new law.