JOHOR BARU: The Customs Department has rolled out a fully digital import and export documentation system designed to eliminate revenue leakages, fast-track clearance, and end discretion by personnel in processing trade documents.
The Malaysian Customs Import/ Export Document System (MyCIEDS) platform allows forwarding agents and importers to submit supporting documents online via any internet-enabled device — a shift from the previously manual, officer-specific process.
Customs director-general Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin said with MyCIEDS, logistics agents can no longer pick their preferred officers to process documents.
“There is no more picking officers. The system assigns cases automatically. Officers must process whichever document appears on their screen,” she said after the system’s southern zone launch today.
The new platform, developed by Edaran IT Services, integrates with the existing Customs Information System (SMK) and currently supports more than 1,350 registered companies involved in trade activities nationwide.
The rollout began in stages from January.
Among the system’s key benefits are real-time transparency and submitted documents tracking, which allows Customs officers and forwarding agents to monitor the status instantly.
The system also eliminates the need for physical visits or paperwork handovers, streamlining the process and reducing operational costs.
With its automated and integrated features, the risk of human error and potential fraud is significantly reduced.
Additionally, goods can be released faster, as the digital platform enables multiple officers to review documents simultaneously, speeding up clearance procedures, she said.
Anis said MyCIEDS also fortifies Customs’ gatekeeping role by standardising document review and removing discretion, thereby plugging a common loophole that allowed manipulation or selective processing.
The system, she said, is also able to stop agents’ attempts to conceal under-declared goods or facilitate preferential treatment.
She said the initiative aligns with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Madani framework, particularly its focus on governance and service delivery agility.
“This is not just a technical upgrade. It’s a leap forward in public service governance,” she said.
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The system also benefits Malaysia’s standing in global trade indices and is expected to enhance cross-border efficiency, reduce compliance costs, and improve trust in enforcement.
Customs officers have been instructed to ensure full compliance with the new process and provide technical guidance to agents. Strict audits and enforcement action await non-compliant parties.
“This is not a burden. It’s a catalyst for efficiency,” said Anis, urging both Customs staff and stakeholders to fully embrace the system.
MyCIEDS is backed by the Technology Depository Agency (TDA) under the Finance Ministry through its Industry Collaboration Programme (ICP), marking a successful public-private synergy in digital reform.
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