‘Flying Passport’ Scandal: 20 Immigration Officers Sacked, 21 Others Disciplined

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- The Immigration Department (JIM) has taken disciplinary action against 41 officers, including dismissals, over the past four years for their involvement in "flying passport" syndicates at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Its director-general, Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, said that out of the total, 20 officers were sacked from the service between 2022 and 2025 after being found guilty of related offences.

“These actions were the result of transparent investigations conducted in accordance with established regulations,” he said in a statement today.

He was responding to a media statement issued by the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) on Monday regarding an investigation into alleged "flying passport" activities at KLIA Terminal 1.

Zakaria said that last year alone, 61 cases referred by the EAIC were brought before the department's Complaints Committee and acted upon in line with current disciplinary procedures and provisions.

He added that the department respects the EAIC’s role as an integrity monitor for enforcement agencies and takes all findings and recommendations seriously, following up with action under public service regulations and legal frameworks.

“JIM maintains that every case referred by the EAIC will be handled with gravity and without compromise. This approach reflects our ongoing commitment to accountability, integrity, and good governance,” he said.

He said the department would continue to strengthen compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enhance internal monitoring and implement continuous improvements to ensure immigration services remain professional and preserve public trust.

On Monday, EAIC confirmed misconduct involving an immigration officer in "flying passport" activities at KLIA Terminal 1 on June 2 last year.

Investigations revealed that the officer entered the passport details of an arriving passenger into the MyIMMs system without the passenger being physically present at the inspection counter.

-- BERNAMA