Public Service Department denies abuse of immigration officer at KLIA

The Public Service Department (PSD) has denied allegations that Director-General of Public Service (KPPA) Mohd Shafiq Abdullah uttered abusive words against an immigration officer at KLIA yesterday.

In a statement today, the PSD said the allegation was baseless and malicious, and intended to tarnish the KPPA’s image as a high-ranking government officer.

The department viewed the allegation as serious and recommended that a proper investigation be conducted by the relevant quarters, it said.

According to the statement, the KPPA had berated an immigration officer at KLIA for not adhering to the stipulated practices and procedures on travellers leaving the country.

It claimed the immigration officer did not check the KPPA’s travel documents, or those of the other members of the delegation, and instead told them to proceed to the customs counter.
 
"The PSD is of the view that non-compliance in checking immigration documents such as passports is a serious offence under the law. In fact, officers who do not comply with immigration rules for going abroad may be subject to disciplinary action," it said.

The department also denied that the immigration officer was berated in public.

"The KPPA only advised the officer to abide by the rules... He also recommended that the immigration at KLIA increase its compliance with the SOPs," it said.

In the incident which went viral on social media yesterday, a KLIA immigration operations head was said to have been scolded in public because no officer was stationed at the VIP room counter.

Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin later instructed the immigration department to investigate the matter.