Masir: Aksem Bill to be tabled in Parliament tomorrow

SIBU: The Malaysia Border Control Agency (Aksem) Bill proposed by the Home Ministry will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow, according to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Masir Kujat, who said Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will table the bill.

“Once it is passed, it will go to Dewan Negara before getting consent by the Agong and passed as a law,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.

Masir was asked on the status of the Aksem Bill and when it would be tabled in the Parliament.

The Sri Aman MP disclosed that only when it is passed, the ministry will decide whether People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) or other relevant agencies will be roped in to reinforce the country’s border security.

“If passed, the act will be enforced to enable Rela to be deployed to the border – that is what we intend to do.

“Rela may be mobilised such as in helping out with border security, and manning the border post with armed forces and PGA (General Operations Force),” Masir added.

If passed, the act will be enforced at the MalaysiaThailand, Sarawak-Kalimantan and Sabah-Kalimantan borders.

It was reported that in May last year the ministry had announced it would draw up a special legislation focusing on jurisdiction of border control duties by Aksem.

Ahmad Zahid had reportedly said then that the ministry would refer to the Australian Border Force Act 2015 and the United Kingdom Borders Act 2007 in drafting the new law.