By Sam Trailerman
So, they are going to "review" the security protocols at KLIA again.
That's what Comm. Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said after bunch of drug smuggling cases at Indonesia airport. Review. My favorite Malaysian word. When something bocor, we review. When something pecah, we review. When drugs can walk through KLIA like it's a shopping mall entrance, we review.
Don't get me wrong, thank you PDRM good job. But the question every common man like me sitting at home and reading the online news, is asking is - Review, okay, but who is accountable for the ones that already lepas? Those are not small sachets of kacang, boss. That's drugs. National threat level stuff. Somebody's son will be ruined because of this. And we only talk about it AFTER it happened. Everything after an issue only we want to do press conference.
If you go to KLIA, you will see. The non-human side, all canggih. Scanners that can see your bones, your last lunch, your sins from 2019. Big machines going beep beep beep. That side is tip-top, no complaint. World-class.
The problem is the human side. That's where the hanky pinky starts.
Let's be honest lah. Machine doesn't know how to take duit kopi. Machine doesn't get a phone call saying "Eh, that bag doesn’t need to scan la, my boss punya". Machine doesn't have a cousin working in the department. Machine won't look the other way when the luggage tag has a certain sticker on it.
We all know sometimes the best upgrade isn't a new RM10 million scanner from Germany. Sometimes it's a wagging tail. Bring in more K9 units. A dog doesn't care if your passport says Tan Sri or Datuk Seri or VIP or VVIP or VVVIP. He will sniff. If there's something, he will bark. He won't accept a green envelope and say "okay okay go". Dogs are loyal, honest, and frankly, work harder than some of us. And they don't ask for overtime allowance.
And here's the question nobody wants to ask loudly: you think they dare to screen check VIP and VVIP properly ah? Be honest.
The entourage comes, 5-6 people pushing trolley, someone in uniform salutes, "Silakan Datuk, silakan Tan Sri", straight go through special lane. Above the law is it? Normal people like us, belt also must take out water bottle also kena throw. But some people's bags get diplomatic immunity or what? If you don't dare to check everyone equally, then what security protocol you want to review? You can put 100 scanners there also no use if the lane is closed for "special" people.
And another thing that man on the street always says –could it be when one community is dominating the whole workforce in one critical place, it becomes easy to form a gang, a network. It's not about any particular community; it's about check and balance. If everyone is from the same kampung, same circle, same group chat, then tolong-menolong culture becomes cover-menutup culture. You scratch my back; I close one eye for your bag. That's how it becomes easy for corruption to breed. Put a mixed, rotated, balanced team. Make it harder for them to be comfortable.
So yeah, review the protocols. Please. But also, punish. Sack those who were sleeping on the job, or worse, who were awake and cooperating. Show us CCTV, show us who got sacked, who got charged. Don't just give us a new SOP PDF file. Because KLIA is our front door. If our front door got hole, don't just review the lock. Find out who gave the spare key to the thief.
So yeah, let's have another meeting. Let's form a special committee to review the special protocol. Let's buy another scanner that can scan the scanner. Let's make a big announcement.
But maybe, just maybe - bring one honest dog, remove one dishonest human, and start checking the VVIP bags like you check any aunty's sambal bottle in her hand carry.
Until then, the rest of us common folk will just do what we do best. Queue properly, take off our belt, throw away our water, and pray that the guy in front of us pushing 8 unchecked Louis Vuitton bags is not carrying something that will destroy our kids' future.
Because in Malaysia, security is very strict. Unless you're …your guess is right!
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