Kota Kinabalu: Parti Bersatu Sabah Api-Api Division Information Chief Yee Tsai Yiew said that a total revamp of the country’s Immigration Department is required to safeguard Malaysia’s reputation from further damage.
Responding to a recent incident that landed the department in hot water following the alleged extortion of a RM18,000 “special fee” from a Chinese visitor detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Yiew said it was time for a significant and comprehensive reform of the department.
“Any unpleasant incidents that impact tourists’ experiences, particularly at our country’s entry points, are unacceptable and must be strongly condemned. It tarnishes our country and harms our tourism industry,” Yiew said.
Apart from urging authorities to conduct a fair and thorough investigation on the incident as a move to restore the confidence amongst international visitors, Yiew, who is also the secretary of the Young Entrepreneurs Committee of Malaysia-China Chinese Chamber of Commerce (Sabah Chapter), proposed several strategies to improve Malaysia’s airport immigration process to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
“The Immigration Department should extend the application of facial recognition systems to all international visitors, instead of limiting it to long-term passes travellers, to facilitate clearance process, and place additional personnel during peak travel periods to alleviate congestion issues,” Yiew suggested, as a way to simplify and improve the immigration procedures.
She also proposed interpreters or multilingual staff, especially at immigration counters, to provide assistance to foreign travellers facing language barriers, which helps reduce misunderstandings.
“In addition, Immigration Department must address the transparency issue throughout their processes by explaining any delays or additional requirements, and establish a clear mechanism for complaint resolution to provide convenience for international tourists.
“Comprehensive training must be provided to immigration officers, including courses on cultural sensitivity, public relations, and foreign languages as well as regular reviews of the conduct of immigration officers to prevent improper behaviour and ensure the effective implementation of these changes.”
She said this is crucial to ensure that proper protocols are in place and that frontline tourism personnel adhere to the highest standards of professionalism.
