Crime analyst Shahul Hamid Abdul Rahim noted that Malaysian border management currently involves many agencies with their respective jurisdictions.

“We used to have an anti-smuggling unit and several other bodies, but the law is still enforced by various agencies.

“For example, cases involving the police will be handed over to the police, immigration cases to the immigration department, and customs cases to the customs department for action,” Bernama reported him as saying.

Shahul said the single border agency’s officers should instead handle all matters, including those related to arrests, based on the jurisdiction given to them.

Meanwhile, Nusantara Strategic Research Academy senior fellow Azmi Hassan said the single border agency will reduce bureaucracy and make tasks at the border more efficient.

“Most foreign countries have a single agency that controls border-related matters. This is important because it involves national security and issues of sovereignty,” he said.

Azmi said the agency would also need to focus on helping to formulate policies for better border security from time to time.

They were commenting on home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s recent announcement that a bill is being drafted to establish a single border agency.

He said the Cabinet agreed to the proposal to set up the new entity, which would allow better coordination among agencies and improve on the issue of integrity.