Home minister Hamzah Zainudin said the country was currently still in the pandemic phase and its readiness to transition to the endemic phase will be determined by the health ministry.
“The health ministry will announce it once we are ready. The immigration department and the General Operations Force (GOF) are ready, and we too are ready to reopen our borders,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after the handover ceremony of the Malaysian Border Control Agency (AKSEM) to the Royal Malaysia Police here today.
He said permission for citizens or foreigners to cross the country’s borders will also be subject to SOPs that will be decided later.
Commenting on the alleged information leak from the myIDENTITY database, Hamzah stressed that only government agencies were allowed to use the information.
“I have been informed that we only give access to government agencies, we do not give access to the private sector. So, that (allegations that information is being channelled to the private sector) is an assumption,” he said.
On AKSEMs’ dissolution and the handing over of its functions to the GOF, Hamzah said it would make relaying the “command and control” from the top brass relating to operations and control at the country’s borders simpler and more structured.
“We will ensure that our tasks are focused on the problems faced at the borders. We will combine all the assignments so that tasks previously under AKSEM will be given priority by the GOF,” he said.
He added that all AKSEM assets will be taken over and managed by the GOF, while all 909 AKSEM officers and personnel will be returned to their respective agencies.
On March 12, the Cabinet agreed with the proposed rationalisation of AKSEM through a restructuring exercise for it to be placed under the Royal Malaysia Police and for the AKSEM Act 2017 to be repealed after the restructuring process is implemented.
AKSEM, which was established on Dec 29, 2017, involves five agencies, namely the police, the immigration department, Royal Malaysian Customs, the National Anti-Drugs Agency and National Kenaf and Tobacco Board.