SEPANG: Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali will meet with Kedah Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) director Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohamad to discuss a misunderstanding between the two over an alleged corruption case involving an Immigration officer in Perlis.
Mustafar said Mohd Fauzi contacted him to arrange for the meeting as soon as possible to explain a statement he made to the media, saying that the investigation into the case received no support from the Immigration Department.
It was reported that Mohd Fauzi had stated that the investigation was an effort by the commission’s headquarters and its Kedah intelligence unit solely, and that the MACC had received no information from the Immigration Department.
In response, Mustafar said he was disappointed by the statement, and insisted that the Department had cooperated with the MACC and provided it with intelligence on the matter.
He said the Department had actually been in touch with the MACC and provided information and needed assistance since he joined the force in Aug last year.
"I believe it is an issue of miscommunication.
“Our Department has been in touch at the headquarters level with the Commission. Mohd Fauzi was probably not aware about it at the state level," he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here today.
A 37-year-old Immigration officer was arrested for alleged corrupt practices involving bribes totalling more than RM27.9 million recently.
An enforcement officer based at the Padang Besar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex and three contractors, including a 53-year-old Datuk, were also arrested in the investigation.
Earlier, Mustafar launched four rebranded Visa On Arrival (VOA) and Jointship counters at the airport here.
He said the rebranding is part of the Department's efforts to enhance arrival and departure processes at KLIA.
Mustafar said the upgrading of the VOA counters will enable smoother arrivals for Chinese and Indian nationals transiting from Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
“The Jointship facility will ensure smoother arrival processes for foreign ship crew members and sailors entering Malaysia," he added.