Seeing the light on customs’ role

UPON reading the article “African ivory seized in KLIA” ( The Star, Aug 23), I finally understood the reasons behind the rigid Customs system of Malaysian airports.

According to the article, the KLIA Customs seized about RM946,000 worth of African ivory, and such a feat deserves kudos for curbing one of the world’s most prevalent crimes. Considering how frequent smuggling occurs unnoticed internationally, this article speaks volumes about Malaysia’s effective policies in controlling illegal trafficking.

As a frequent flyer who sometimes gets snagged by the hawkeyed Customs, I have more than once flared with frustration at the Malaysian airport Customs system. Did they simply exist to irk travellers and immigrants?

The prospect of illegal trades happening in Malaysian airports sounded ludicrous to me.

How could luggage packed with drugs or live animals even be lugged around in the familiar airports of Kuala Lumpur and Penang? But after reading this article, I found my frustrations childish compared to the gravity of the crimes the Customs systems successfully prevented.

Through my travels, I have realised that an airport, in essence, is a sort of window through which people peer into a nation. Effective policing of illegal activities in airports promotes a sense of security and reinforces the reliability of its country.

And even though the current Customs systems may elicit raged-filled complaints from travellers, by exhibiting the capability to control illegal trafficking, Malaysian airports continue to display the image of Malaysia everyone wants to see.