PUTRAJAYA: With a reform mission in mind, the Madani government can’t afford to have any of its team members stay stuck with old corrupt practices, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

During the Immigration Department’s Hari Raya celebration on Monday (May 6), the Prime Minister urged the agency to continue the improvements and progress it has made to ensure Malaysia’s good image among foreign nationals remains.

He said this is especially important since Immigration officers would be among the first people that foreign tourists will meet upon entering the country.

“When I say we’re a team, I don’t just mean the Cabinet and those (with higher) positions. I mean, all of us civil servants, we are all part of the same team.

“So, stop the old practices that are not in line with the Madani government and the reforms we bring.

“The hopes and dreams of this Madani government are like a mountain, which means we must keep moving and we can’t remain complacent like before.

“The (recent) Ramadan month saw a lot of good progress happening (among civil servants) so let’s not revert to the old practices now that the Ramadan month is over,” he said in his speech during the agency’s Hari Raya celebration.

The Prime Minister at the same time called on civil servants not to make excuses when they did not perform but instead, take responsibility and accept constructive criticisms.

“How can excuse ourselves by saying that because we are inefficient, people have to wait two to three hours? This is a challenge for us.

“We are all part of the same family so let’s not take things too personally when someone gives constructive criticism, such as what happened last year,” he said.

Without mentioning any specific incident, it is believed that Anwar was referring to the “culture of corruption” claim made by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing in June last year.

It was reported that Tiong had barged into the arrival hall at KL International Airport (KLIA) on June 29, 2023, and created a commotion in an attempt to "free" a Chinese national who was prohibited entry into Malaysia.

Among others, Tiong claimed that some foreign tourists had their mobile phones confiscated with no explanation at KLIA, and some Immigration officers would demand up to RM3,000 to free tourists from detention and send them back.

Tiong also said his visit to KLIA on June 29 last year was to expose corrupt activities at the country's main gateway.

Further in his speech, Anwar said while such a negative perception still exists among some segments of the public, the bad apples in the Immigration Department were only a small group of people.

“Is it true there is a small group damaging the image? Yes. Is there corruption among (Immigration) officers? Yes. Is there a discipline issue among some? Yes.

"Has any (officers) revealed the location of a raid before it is conducted? Also yes.

“So fix that small group of people. Find the best way to improve our performance,” Anwar added.

Last week, Anwar said he had reprimanded the Immigration Department over the recent congestion and delays at Immigration counters at KLIA and KLIA2.

Anwar said that the number of tourist arrivals had increased drastically at the start of this year, resulting in pressure at the Immigration counters.

“Malaysia is a popular destination and tourists will not want to listen to whatever excuses that are given for delays if they are forced to wait,” Anwar had said on May 2.

It was reported on Feb 24 that tourists arriving at KLIA were forced to wait between one and three hours to go through immigration clearance on Wednesday (May 1) afternoon.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/06/pm-urges-immigration-to-keep-improving-to-ensure-malaysia039s-image-stays-good