KUCHING: The Home Ministry has dismissed claims made in a viral video suggesting that travellers can slip through Malaysian immigration with ease, stressing that the recording did not take place at an immigration counter.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the footage showed a boarding gate checkpoint operated by auxiliary police, not immigration officers.
“When we look at the video, it is clear that it is not an immigration counter. It is the checkpoint before boarding the aircraft, and the uniform seen is that of auxiliary police,” he told reporters at the MADANI Village project handover ceremony at Kampung Sindang Baru Samarahan on Saturday.
Checks were carried out on the two individuals featured in the recording, identified as citizens of Bosnia and China.
“The passports are valid and have proper entry and exit records. We also verified with their embassies. They are legitimate travel documents,” he said.
Saifuddin said the ministry is concerned that the viral content was framed to suggest that Malaysia’s border controls are easy to bypass.
“The creator made it appear as if people can pass through immigration without proper checks. That is not true. What was shown is not an immigration counter,” he said.
He added that an investigation will be initiated to determine the motive behind the posting.
“If the intention is to damage the country’s image concerning security, there will be follow-up action. This is not the first time such content has been produced. A similar incident occurred previously in Thailand,” he said.
The minister said the authorities will not hesitate to act if the content is found to undermine national security or public confidence in border control systems.
“When we look at the video, it is clear that it is not an immigration counter. It is the checkpoint before boarding the aircraft, and the uniform seen is that of auxiliary police,” he told reporters at the MADANI Village project handover ceremony at Kampung Sindang Baru Samarahan on Saturday.
Checks were carried out on the two individuals featured in the recording, identified as citizens of Bosnia and China.
“The passports are valid and have proper entry and exit records. We also verified with their embassies. They are legitimate travel documents,” he said.
Saifuddin said the ministry is concerned that the viral content was framed to suggest that Malaysia’s border controls are easy to bypass.
“The creator made it appear as if people can pass through immigration without proper checks. That is not true. What was shown is not an immigration counter,” he said.
He added that an investigation will be initiated to determine the motive behind the posting.
“If the intention is to damage the country’s image concerning security, there will be follow-up action. This is not the first time such content has been produced. A similar incident occurred previously in Thailand,” he said.
The minister said the authorities will not hesitate to act if the content is found to undermine national security or public confidence in border control systems.