KUALA LUMPUR – The cabinet has agreed that airlines will handle their passengers who are issued Not To Land (NTL) notices upon arrival at airports here, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said today.
The decision, Saifuddin said, was made after considering the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Convention on International Aviation set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
The decision means that the contract for Mono Circle Sdn Bhd, which had been appointed by airline companies to handle NTL travellers since February 2015, will have to be terminated.
However, Saifuddin did not say when this would happen, as the cabinet had only just agreed on the policy.
“Cabinet has agreed that airline companies, instead of a third party company, will handle the deportation process for NTL travellers,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
“This is in line with the Immigration Act and the (convention by) ICAO, which state that they (airline companies) are the ones that should be responsible (for NTL travellers).
“The decision will allow us to improve our care towards NTL travellers,” he added, noting that the Home Ministry and the Transport Ministry will be holding discussions to follow up on today’s policy decision.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) recently said it did not appoint the independent company tasked with handling NTL passengers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), and noted that the appointment was done by airlines themselves.
NTL notices are issued for various reasons including passport validity, visa issue, criminal history and security concerns, and MAHB said this falls under the purview of the respective airlines and the Immigration Department as specified under International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Annexe 9 and Act 155 of the Immigration Act.
MAHB’s statement came after a commotion at KLIA last month which saw Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing claiming that a Chinese tourist was a victim of corruption after being denied entry into the country despite having all necessary documentation.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has since begun the hunt for a foreigner who acted as an agent asking for RM18,000 to bring in the Chinese national involved through KLIA. – The Vibes, July 12, 2023
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