'Flying passport' ruse: Sacking offenders is the only way [WATCH]

JOHOR BARU: The decades-old “flying passport” racket at the Johor-Singapore land checkpoints continues to thrive — not due to a lack of technology or protocols – but because rogue officers caught red-handed are quietly transferred instead of sacked.

An immigration source told the New Straits Times that the ruse, first documented as far back as 1996, has become entrenched within the system, aided by weak disciplinary mechanisms and inter-agency silence.

“It’s an open secret. Officers caught facilitating ghost entries are just moved to another counter, or another state. No termination, no prosecution, just relocation,” the source said.

Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain recently defended the transfer of officers under corruption probe, saying it is not a cover-up but a procedural step required under civil service rules.

He said he was obligated to address growing public concern over why some officers implicated in misconduct are transferred rather than dismissed, as disciplinary action in the civil service must follow strict procedures.

“When an officer is arrested, the public often thinks we are trying to sidestep the issue by moving them elsewhere. But that is not the case. Transferring them is the first and immediate step we can take under current rules,” Shuhaily had said.

He added that officers must be given a chance to defend themselves under civil service regulations, and any termination of employment involves multiple levels of scrutiny.

Public Service Department regulations make it difficult to dismiss errant officers. The result? A revolving door of misconduct.

“This breeds impunity. These officers know that even if they’re caught, the worst they’ll face is a transfer. And the syndicates know it too,” the source added.

The source then pointed out to a row of eateries and stores just a stone’s throw from the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ).

“These are the drop points for flying passports. That’s where it happens. The handovers.

“Just walk into some of these cafes, you’ll see nothing, but things are in motion. These places don’t just serve food,” said the source familiar with the zone.

The cost of a passport stamp, once RM200, has now reached RM1,800, depending on the urgency and the number of clearances required.

Despite biometric systems, closed-circuit television (CCTV), and electronic logs, officers still override protocols with ease, citing ‘system down’ or ‘manual exception’.

The security expert interviewed yesterday said the issue is no longer technical — it’s institutional.

“We don’t need more systems. We need consequence. If not even one officer has been publicly dismissed for this racket, what message does that send?”

The insider also warned that internal audits often fail to detect biometric mismatches, and post-clearance reviews rarely result in disciplinary action unless the public raise complaints.

Proposed reforms have long been discussed, including permanent blacklists of officers implicated in unauthorised clearances; independent digital audit teams not tied to internal command; AI-driven biometric entry verification with ghost-detection alerts; and real-time supervision with multi-factor clearance triggers.

Yet, none have been fully implemented.

“Until someone in power draws a line and enforces real accountability, not just shuffling the deck, the ‘flying passport‘ will keep flying,” the source said.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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