JustUpdateOnline.com – Malaysia is embarking on a comprehensive technological upgrade of its border management systems, aiming to implement biometric verification and automated gates across all national entry points by 2028. This strategic shift is designed to bolster security protocols while streamlining the movement of travelers through official checkpoints.
Under the direction of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), the initiative will see the installation of 635 automated gates at 125 Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) complexes. According to Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, the Director-General of the Immigration Department, this transition to automation will significantly decrease the reliance on manual passport inspections, allowing technology to handle the bulk of routine screening processes.
By delegating repetitive administrative tasks to automated systems, immigration personnel will be able to pivot their focus toward more critical responsibilities. Zakaria emphasized that this optimization of human resources will empower officers to concentrate on high-level investigative work and specialized enforcement actions that require human judgment and expertise.
The technological suite includes advanced biometric tools, specifically facial recognition and sophisticated identification systems, to ensure traveler verification is both rapid and precise. Beyond simply reducing wait times, these digital measures are intended to eliminate identity theft and fortify the integrity of legal entry points against fraudulent activities.
Addressing potential technical concerns, the department confirmed that manual service counters will be kept operational as a secondary fallback. The new systems are built for high resilience, featuring the capability to function in offline modes to prevent disruptions during network outages, ensuring that border flow remains steady under various conditions.
The tightening of security at official crossings is also expected to have a deterrent effect on illegal activities in neighboring border regions, such as Kedah, Perlis, and Kelantan. By making official entry points nearly impossible to exploit, authorities aim to disrupt the operations of syndicates attempting to bypass national laws.
While the AKPS manages the physical infrastructure of the borders, the Immigration Department remains the lead authority on screening technology and enforcement operations. This digital evolution also involves a major overhaul of central server capacities to ensure the system remains transparent, reliable, and prepared for future demands.