However, not every officer will wear the equipment.

Customs department deputy director-general Norlela Ismail said body cams would be a must for certain officers on duty at cargo terminals and those who screen luggage at airports, Harian Metro reported.

“These body cams will be worn (by officers on duty) in sensitive locations. As of today, three officers (in KLIA) will be wearing body cameras at any given time,” she said.

The department has been carrying out a pilot project with officers wearing body cams since October 2023, with 60 units of cameras rented for a 36-month period.

The pilot project involved KLIA Terminals 1 and 2, the Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor, Port Klang, and the department’s enforcement unit in Putrajaya.

It involved an allocation of about RM1.59 million.

Norlela admitted that the 60 units of body cams procured were insufficient but said it was nonetheless an important first step towards safeguarding the department’s integrity.

Other enforcement agencies have also started rolling out the use of body cams, including the police, road transport department and immigration department.