PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Checkpoints and Border Agency (MBCA) will take over 22 border entry points with a total strength of 14,000 members once the bill governing the agency is approved by Parliament this July.

MBCA director-general Datuk Seri Hazani Ghazali said the agency is expected to take over ports, airports, and land, sea and air border entry points.

"For the initial stage, MCBA will take over 22 entry points. In total we have 143 border entry points and 118 of them are active entry points.

"MCBA expects to fully take over all border entry points once the agency has its own service scheme after the bill is passed.

"Of the 22 entrances, MCBA focuses on the entry points at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the customs, immigration and quarantine complex in Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor Baru," he said.

Hazani added that the MCBA is a front-line agency providing integrated and comprehensive control and inspection services at all border entry points.

"The agency focuses on eight main functions, which are facilitating the people's entry and exit at border gates, inspection of goods, vehicles and cargo, controlling the acceptability of food including animals and plants; inspecting private and commercial vehicles and controlling the entry of food and health products.

"Additionally, the MCBA functions to control the acceptability of wildlife and wildlife-based products as well as carry out enforcement, monitoring, detention, intelligence, investigation, patrolling and prosecution in addition to carrying out management and administration in the operational area," he said.

Hazani said the bill for the agency would also include amendments to 34 other existing acts. He also said the MCBA currently carried out assignments according to the 3Cs - coordinate, command, and control - due to the absence of specific laws for the agency.

"This 3C assignment is used to carry out assignments with other agencies, of whom we always coordinate with."

He also said the establishment of MCBA was timely as other countries already had their own border control agencies including Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Australia's Australian Border Force (ABF).

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/1054985/malaysian-checkpoints-and-border-agency-will-have-total-strength-14000