KUALA LUMPUR: It is suggested that security control at the country’s border areas with neighbouring countries should be placed under the jurisdiction of the respective state police chiefs.
This is to enable the operations involving government agencies such as the police, military and Customs and Immigration Department to be coordinated under one directive.
Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob, former director of the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department, Royal Malaysian Police, said the state police chiefs should be given the power to carry put programmes, actions and operations.
“Through this power, all the agencies involved can play their role under one directive. This will also promote national integration in ensuring the security of our borders is not breached,” he told Bernama in an interview.
He said the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) would be the best solution to national security issues involving border security control, especially at the Malaysia-Thailand border if the inter-agency cooperation was effective.
Ayub, who is also an exco member of the Malaysia Peace Foundation (Pengaman), said the NBOS should be implemented in an integrated manner involving all relevant government agencies in tackling Malaysia’s border security issues.
“Each agency should not act alone or unilaterally. But with the NBOS, the agencies involved can share information so that all resources can be fully utilised,” he said.
Ayub also said the time had come for the government to set up a special task force to focus on border affairs, especially security control.
He said well-equipped camps should also be set up near the borders for the security forces and the latest technology be used including satellite imaging for security monitoring, which was more practical, instead of building a high wall along the border, which would incur a high cost.
He also suggested that the practice of the 1960s be brought back – moving one army batallion from one location to another afer serving in an area for two years.
Ayub said all these measures could help prevent trespassing, human smuggling and trafficking, and smuggling of goods including dangerous drugs and firearms which could threaten national security. — Bernama