AKPS Records Promising Performance, Experts Hail Integrated Team Effort

By Samantha Tan Chiew Tieng

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) a year ago marked more than just an administrative restructuring, reflecting the government’s commitment to strengthening border management.

Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Science and Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Dr Amer Fawwaz Mohamad Yasid said that AKPS had, in a short period, navigated the most critical phase for any new organisation, demonstrating its initial operational capabilities and effectiveness.

He said the team’s performance at the nation’s entry points showed that the integrated control model was beginning to deliver tangible results, strengthening public confidence in the agency’s capabilities.

Amer Fawwaz was of the view that 2025 to 2030 would be a crucial phase for AKPS, during which the agency must strengthen its organisational structure, clarify its mandate and foster a strong, unified identity among personnel from diverse backgrounds.

“The AKPS’ direction over the next five years is to resolve internal conflicts, strengthen an integrated work culture, streamline its structure, and define its jurisdiction. If the agency can consistently demonstrate the effectiveness of this model, it could serve as a foundation for broader reforms in the management of the country’s border security,” he told Bernama.

Amer Fawwaz said the main challenge for AKPS was no longer simply enforcement capabilities, but the task of unifying its work culture, identity, and chain of command to foster team spirit, reduce overlapping roles, and prevent internal competition that could undermine cooperation and operational effectiveness.

He said that, despite being a relatively new agency, AKPS had shown promising ability in preventing illegal goods and contraband from entering the country, with seizure statistics and media reports on enforcement actions indicating that its focused approach was starting to deliver results.

“I was particularly impressed by the reported seizure figures and statistical data. This is closely tied to AKPS’ leadership, which features resolute figures such as its director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain and Port Klang Commander Datuk Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal, who uphold integrity and good governance without compromise.

Amer Fawwaz believed that strong leadership was crucial in the early phase of institution building and that an emphasis on discipline, integrity, and accountability would provide a solid foundation for cultivating a professional work culture, thereby reducing the risk of leakage and abuse of power.

According to him, should the approach be applied consistently, AKPS could become a reference point for long-term deliberations on forming a single national border control agency, an idea that has been under consideration for almost 20 years.

Meanwhile, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia’s (UPNM) Centre for Military and International Humanitarian Law (CoMIHL) director Lt Kdr Dr Mazura Md Saman said the establishment of AKPS was a strategic move to tackle increasingly complex border security threats.

She said the move also underscored the urgent need to reform the country’s border control structure, particularly in light of rising cross-border crimes such as smuggling, human trafficking, and the abuse of legal entry points.

According to her, prior to the establishment of AKPS, the country’s border control system faced serious constraints, including poor coordination, uncoordinated resource utilisation and competitive acquisition of assets across agencies.

“The establishment of AKPS as an integrated frontline agency is the organisation’s response to bridging this structural gap. It enables border control to operate under a clearer and more accountable chain of command,” she said.

Commenting on AKPS’ role in national security, Mazura said the integrated control approach at entry points could thwart the increasingly sophisticated tactics of syndicates, including the use of insiders and abuse of designated routes.

“Coordinated screening, issuance of Not To Land notices, and cargo inspections not only close syndicates’ entry points but also disrupt the entire chain of commercial crime,” she said.

Mazura also emphasised the critical role of AKPS in safeguarding the country’s economic interests, particularly by curbing revenue leakage and the smuggling of subsidised goods.

“Revenue leakage at the border is not merely an enforcement issue, but a matter of national governance. AKPS serves as the first line of defence against false declarations, document manipulation, and smuggling of goods that harm the country’s fiscal interests,” she said.

In the context of investor confidence, Mazura said that strong, consistent, and risk-based border control would enhance business certainty and reduce the “silent costs” caused by delays and uncertainty at entry points.

Commenting on AKPS’ long-term direction, Mazura said the next 10 years should focus on developing the agency into an institution with high standards of integrity and effective mechanisms for checks and balances.

“AKPS must continue to evolve in technology, operational integration, and authority, without compromising accountability and independent oversight. Failure to uphold these principles could turn the ‘single agency’ concept into a ‘single point of failure’ in border governance,” she said.

--BERNAMA