KUCHING: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) will work closely with the Malaysian Border Control Agency (MCBA) to address leakages of controlled goods in Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said MCBA is set to fully operate at border checkpoints by February next year.
“Before the full operation of MCBA at certain entry points, enforcement powers will be temporarily delegated to officers from existing agencies at these checkpoints since KPDN does not have enforcement officers at Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan’s border checkpoints.
“In cases where the nearest border checkpoint is distant, it may delay case handling. Therefore, the best approach is to delegate KPDN’s enforcement powers to existing agencies at border checkpoints and subsequently to MCBA, which is authorised under the MCBA Act to enforce laws under KPDN’s jurisdiction, such as the Supply Control Act,” he said.
He said this in a press conference after the coordination meeting on enforcement to address controlled goods leakages in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here on Saturday.
Earlier, the meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Armizan emphasised the need to tackle leakages occurring not only at border areas but also in inland towns, urban centres, and waters.
“Leakages include smuggling to foreign countries and misappropriation, such as selling subsidised items like diesel to industrial sectors instead of intended beneficiaries like consumers, fishermen, and the public transportation sector,” he added.
He said that digital solutions, such as QR code-based permits for controlled goods, will also be introduced to enhance monitoring effectiveness.
“This will allow more efficient and accurate tracking of goods, minimising opportunities for leakages,” he said.
He also mentioned that among other measures are enhanced collaboration between KPDN, the police and other agencies to strengthen human resources, security and logistics.
“For example, we require police assistance to safeguard enforcement officers and secure seized items. Additionally, agencies like the police and Sarawak’s local authorities will help provide storage facilities for seized exhibits, including lorries and vessels,” he said.
Armizan also highlighted the need for stricter control over bunkering activities in coastal waters.
He revealed plans to introduce special labeling for vessels involved in bunkering, allowing enforcement agencies such as the Marine Police and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to monitor activities more effectively.
Additionally, another key decision involves the implementation of periodic inspections at 466 petrol stations across Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan starting Dec 15 this year.
“KPDN officers will regularly inspect these petrol stations across these areas and record their findings in logbooks to ensure periodic monitoring.
“We also urge the state governments of Sabah and Sarawak to take appropriate actions, including demolishing illegal jetties and ports, as these are under the jurisdiction of state governments and local authorities. These illegal structures often contribute to leakage activities,” he said.
During the event Fadillah and Armizan witnessed the Kita Gempur Pledge signing ceremony by oil companies, which are among KPDN’s strategic partners.
This pledge involved 11 oil companies in Malaysia, namely Petronas, Shell, Petron, Caltex, BHPetrol, Xcel, Five, Petros, Buraq Oil, Smart, and Petro Teguh, which are also supporting the government’s efforts to combat leakages and manipulation of controlled goods, especially diesel and petrol.
