The Royal Malaysia Customs Department has made significant strides in its battle against internal corruption and the illegal cigarette trade. This success is marked by a notable increase of over 20% in the seizure and confiscation of illegal cigarettes in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, as reported by the Malaysia Integrity and Governance Society (MIG).
According to Nielsen’s Illicit Cigarette Study in Malaysia, the prevalence of illegal cigarettes has decreased from 56.4% in January 2024 to 55.4% by March 2024. This progress is attributed to the initiatives led by Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin, who was appointed as the Customs director-general on September 23 last year. She pledged to combat corruption vigorously, which has been a cornerstone of her strategy.
Datuk Seri Dr. Akhbar Satar, President of MIG, highlighted that Anis Rizana’s approach included personnel transfers and taking action against corrupt officers who had accepted bribes from smuggling syndicates, causing significant revenue losses for the country. In April, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim commended Anis Rizana for her decisive measures, particularly her actions at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Cargo terminal, where she removed and disciplined dishonest staff.
Akhbar Satar also pointed out that recent high-profile raids have drawn public attention. Notable operations include the Melaka Customs’ seizure of contraband cigarettes and liquor worth RM12.8 million in Johor and another bust in Negri Sembilan, where over RM600,000 worth of illicit goods were confiscated from a bungalow rented by Bangladeshi nationals.
Despite these achievements, concerns have been raised about Anis Rizana’s job security due to her firm stance against corruption. Akhbar, the founder of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Malaysia Chapter, expressed worry that her bold actions might provoke resistance from those lacking integrity within the system. He urged government leaders and the public to support and protect honest Customs officers so they can perform their duties without fear of reprisal.
In related developments, a former Customs officer was recently charged in the Sessions Court in Johor with 38 counts of bribery amounting to RM14,950 during his tenure as a Senior Customs Assistant at KLIA from 2017 to 2021. The court, presided over by Judge Datuk Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail, charged the ex-officer under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which could result in up to two years of imprisonment or a fine.
Moreover, three Customs officers were charged in the Shah Alam Sessions Court for accepting bribes in 2017. These officers allegedly received bribes from a company owner to allow unchecked passage of lorries at the KLIA Cargo terminal. They face charges under Section 17(a) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act, with potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison or a minimum fine of RM10,000.
This series of actions underscores the ongoing commitment to rooting out corruption and improving the integrity of Malaysia’s Customs Department.
FlyingBird is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.