PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia cannot adopt the same priorities as other countries when addressing threats to security and public order, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

This, he said, was as different nations face varying criminal challenges and must prioritise their responses accordingly.

"For countries like the United States, their priority is on terrorism and financial terrorism; China, on financial scams; Middle Eastern countries, on terrorism and financial terrorism; and, Singapore has listed scams and cybercrimes, drug trafficking and terrorism.

"In Malaysia, our security issues include illegal immigration, drug smuggling, drug addiction and substance abuse, illegal fishing, and foreign fishermen encroaching our waters.

"Additionally, the Eastern Sabah region has its own specific list of security concerns," he said in his speech at the closing of the Internal Security Conference 2024.

As such, Saifuddin said it was hoped that several of these security issues raised during the seminar would be addressed according to their priority.

"We hope that the input from this conference can guide us in the ministry to present to the government in formulating future policies."

Meanwhile, Saifuddin told reporters later that integrity and corruption remain a priority for the government, even though they were not highlighted as a primary focus during the conference.

He said the issues of integrity were also discussed at the conference, which involved 800 participants from various backgrounds and branches of national security.

"We allowed participants the freedom to discuss from their perspectives. So, was corruption discussed at this conference? The answer is yes, and it was included in the topic of integrity," he said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/1100339/saifuddin-malaysia-must-tailor-security-priorities-its-own-needs