KLIA immigration officer caught napping with dozen foreign passports “would have been shot in China”

KLIA immigration officer caught napping with dozen foreign passports “would have been shot in China”





WHEN a Minister is called to “rescue” a visiting Chinese tourist from unscrupulous Immigration officials, the news was roundly mocked.


The incident in July 2023 whereby Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had to barge his way into the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to confront immigration officials was said to be just the tip of the iceberg where corruption was concerned.


Now there is another episode which again puts the Immigration Department, particularly those stationed at airports, in seriously poor light.


As reported on X by BFM News (@NewsBFM), an immigration officer at Terminal 2 of the KLIA was caught napping with a dozen foreign passports hidden in his waistband.

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An immigration officer at KLIA Terminal 2 was caught napping with 12 foreign passports hidden in his waistband, allegedly tied to a passport syndicate. Malaysiakini reports he was only transferred to the KLIA detention depot and has yet to report for duty.… Show more

1:30 PM · Feb 19, 2025

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Quoting Malaysiakini, the news outlet said the officer had just been transferred to the KLIA detention depot but had not officially reported for duty.

It is alleged that this officer was part of a syndicate that facilitates entry for overstayers and those blacklisted. The charge was reported to be a rather affordable RM1,400 per passport.



Interestingly, the whistle-blower was a colleague who must have suspected something was amiss as to why an officer who has not yet reported for duty was lounging in a restricted area. Her suspicions were confirmed when she found a dozen foreign passports hidden in his waistband.



The post has generated 285.4K views with many netizens expressing shock and amazement at the brazenness of the immigration officer who was in cahoots with a syndicate.



Some netizens demanded heavy sanctions with one suggesting that this individual be stripped of his citizenship and be put out to sea on a small boat.

Another commented that this was akin to treason and should face the firing squad as fines, whipping and jail are insufficient deterrent.



One argued that such individuals should be treated just like drug dealers and be punished accordingly.



While another queried what would the punishment be if this crime had been committed in China?



Such blatant examples of corruption could have made it possible for Mossad agents (Isreali secret service) to enter the country willy-nilly, countered one netizen. Entry was gained through a simple greasing of palms.



Some commenters highlighted how lucrative a business this is. One claimed a “friend” made a very lucrative business out of such operations years ago with cash under the bed and a brand-new Mercedes Benz his reward for his efforts.



One contended that those who complained about Chinese nationals flooding the country were barking up the wrong tree. The “one million who have since gone undetected” was made possible by such immigration officers.



Some wanted the head of immigration to take responsibility by resigning from his position. However, given that accountability is not high on Malaysian government officials list of priorities, this is very unlikely.



Some reckoned that this officer was just a small fry as there were surely many others involved.



The issue of illegal foreigners is a hot topic, especially during holidays when Kuala Lumpur City Centre is flooded by foreign nationals.

It is there for all to see with the brazenness of this immigration official underlining just how deep-rooted this problem is.

But one suspects that this will once again be swept under the carpet and such shenanigans will continue simply because there is too much money at stake. – Feb 20, 2025