New immigration system to be set up

PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry will develop a new, more efficient immigration system which is more efficient, secure and cost- saving, said its minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday.

He said the ministry will submit a proposal to the Cabinet to upgrade the current system before developing the new system.

Muhyiddin said since he took over the duties of Home Minister, he had instructed the ministry to review all concession agreements with the vendors who managed the many immigration systems including the overseas visa or Visa Luar Negara ( VLN) system.

“The purpose of this is to ensure that the government’s interests and national security is not jeopardised by any weaknesses which could be in the agreement or implementation system,” he said in a statement here yesterday.

Muhyiddin said the ministry viewed as serious a news report yesterday which claimed that there were weaknesses in the VLN online system including eNTRI and eVISA for tourists from China and India who want to enter Malaysia.

He said the eNTRI system which is operated by Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) through a concession agreement with the ministry since 2016 had failed in its role as a screening and early vetting system for Chinese nationals entering the country.

Muhyiddin said the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) was in the midst of investigating allegations of abuse of power involving several concession companies which had obtained rights to manage the immigration system.

“The ministry will give its fullest cooperation to the MACC to carry out its investigations.

“It will not hesitate to take strict action against anyone if there is evidence of the weaknesses or abuses in implementing the system,” he said.