IMMIGRATION and border enforcement officers were allegedly bribed with up to RM50,000 a month by syndicates involved in illegal "counter setting" operations, enabling foreign nationals to bypass proper immigration procedures at Malaysia’s official entry points, according to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Sinar Harian cited MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki saying officers had been accepting between RM1,800 and RM2,500 per person in exchange for allowing foreign nationals to enter the country without thorough checks.
"On average, officers involved would receive between RM10,000 and RM50,000 per month depending on the number of foreign nationals they facilitated," he said on Saturday.
Azam explained that payments were made either in cash or through mule bank accounts. Syndicate agents would reportedly provide officers with passport numbers and flight details in advance and instruct them on which immigration counters the individuals should use.
“The officers manning the counters would then either ease the clearance process or allow the foreigners through without proper scrutiny,” he said.
In a recent operation, MACC detained several enforcement personnel from the Immigration Department and the Malaysian Border Control Agency (AKSEM), including team leaders, supervisors and counter officers, ranging in rank from KP1 to KP9 and aged between 23 and 54.
The arrests followed Op Rentas, a large-scale anti-corruption operation conducted on Tuesday, which saw the detention of 30 individuals, including 18 enforcement officers, in Selangor, Melaka, Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan.
Those arrested are suspected of being part of a broader counter-setting syndicate, allegedly receiving and giving bribes in exchange for enabling unauthorised foreign entry into the country.
The MACC has also seized more than RM200,000 in cash and frozen 57 bank accounts worth over RM2.7 million. Additionally, various luxury items, including jewellery, gold bars, high-end handbags, watches, vehicles and electronic devices were confiscated.
The investigation is being conducted under Sections 16 and 17 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. - September 13, 2025
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