KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Cross-border human trafficking and irregular migration involving Indonesia, particularly through Johor and the Malacca Strait, is a serious and increasingly complex threat, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
“This is particularly due to organised transnational syndicates exploiting maritime routes, third-country movements and long-established cross-border linkages,” he told reporters, citing monitoring by police, Immigration, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
According to a report published in the New Straits Times, Saifuddin Nasution added that enforcement agencies had boosted maritime domain awareness, joint patrols and inter-agency coordination in high-risk areas.
“Intelligence analysis focuses on facilitators on the ground and dismantling organised criminal elements operating across borders,” he said.
He stressed that Malaysia regards the issue as a shared regional challenge requiring close cooperation with Indonesia and international partners.
Saifuddin Nasution was responding to remarks by Indonesian consul-general in Johor Baru, Sigit S. Widiyanto, on rising human trafficking routes, irregular migration and border-linked scams.
On Malaysia’s legal framework, he said: “The act is applied together with other laws targeting organised crime and national security threats, allowing flexible investigation and prosecution, including cases involving maritime routes and cross-border syndicates.”
Addressing concerns over corruption, Saifuddin Nasution said: “Where cases involving misconduct or corruption by enforcement personnel are identified, they are dealt with through established investigative, disciplinary and legal mechanisms.”
He added: “Malaysia welcomes continued cooperation and information-sharing with Indonesia, recognising that transparency and joint accountability are critical in dismantling transnational criminal syndicates.”
