PUTRAJAYA, Aug 7 — The Immigration Department will not protect any of its officers and personnel involved in misconduct, including corruption or abuse of power, and immediate stern action will instead be taken against them without compromise.

Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the stance was in line with the department’s efforts to strengthen integrity and ensure that every officer carries out the trust and responsibilities entrusted to them with full professionalism.

He said the department continued to receive information on the involvement of certain personnel who were believed to be colluding in activities involving flying passports, counter setting and the irregular approval of Temporary Employment Visit Passes (PLKS).

“I have issued repeated warnings, but there will be no more warnings now. No more warnings and no more reminders. We will take immediate action (against officers involved in misconduct),” he said in his speech at the department’s monthly assembly here today.

Citing the hacking of the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) involving the PLKS application and approval process, Zakaria said the department had received initial information on the involvement of its officers and personnel in the case.

He said the Immigration Department, together with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), was waiting for the right time to track down all those involved and ensure the case was dealt with at its root.

“Actually, on the first day the incident occurred, we were able to identify the officers involved. We knew who was involved, but I took a different approach. If I had stopped it immediately, we would not have been able to catch all those involved.

“That is why we allowed it to continue until we gathered evidence on who the culprits or masterminds behind it were. That is why I said, do not think that what happened has gone unnoticed,” he said.

Zakaria reminded department personnel to work with full integrity and stop any form of misconduct before action is taken against them.

He said every transaction involving Immigration Department matters would continue to be closely monitored to ensure any abuse of power was curbed.

“What I hope is that these incidents will serve as a lesson to other officers. If anyone is currently doing something wrong, stop before we take action. That is all. As I mentioned before, I have information,” he said.

Last Tuesday, five more Immigration officers were detained by the MACC for allegedly conspiring to hack MyIMMs in connection with the unauthorised application and approval of PLKS.

Zakaria had previously said that the department would cancel PLKS identified as having been approved by the syndicate involved in hacking the MyIMMs system through Ops Crack. — Bernama