‘Govt to curb VIPs smuggling money via airports’
KUALA LUMPUR: Officers from the Customs and Immigration departments will stand guard outside VIP waiting rooms at airports to curb money smuggling and other unlawful activities.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said this step was necessary to stop smuggling.
“We know there are (enforcement) weaknesses in the VIP lanes, so we seek the cooperation from Immigration and Customs, as well as Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to tighten security checks.
“If matters at special waiting rooms were handled by accompanying officers previously, now we place Customs and Immigration personnel at VIP lanes.
“Scanners will also be placed at the exits (of VIP waiting rooms) so that smuggling will not happen,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He was answering a supplementary question from Pang Hok Liong (PH DAP-Labis) on steps taken by the government to tackle smuggling of monies, referring to a recent incident where RM49 million was smuggled into the country via the airport.
On Sept 4, the ministry ordered MAHB to tighten checks of VIP lanes at airports nationwide following a New Straits Times Press’ exclusive report that personal jets of political leaders and VIPs were used to smuggle large amounts of cash into the country.
It was believed that the act was committed in April by an agency linked to the Prime Minister’s Department during the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) administration in the runup to the 14th General Election.
In answering a supplementary question from Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (Pas-Rantau Panjang) on the number of smuggling cases at VIP lanes of airports, Loke said: “Since we took over, no action has been taken because there was no smuggling. Not so sure about back then (during BN’s administration).”
“Even members of parliament, who have the right to use VIP lanes, need to cooperate with the authorities at airports and not complain.
“It is procedure. Everyone will be checked.”