Budget 2023: Govt asked to empower assets, improve welfare of Immigration personnel

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been asked to focus on empowering the assets of the Immigration Department and improving the welfare of its personnel in Budget 2023, which will be tabled on Oct 7.

Immigration Services Union of Peninsular Malaysia (KPISM) president Khairil Niza Khairuddin said it is to facilitate immigration officers in carrying out their tasks that are becoming more challenging.

He said KPISM hoped that the government would provide higher allocation for logistics vehicles for use during operations, adding that it is also requesting the enforcement incentives to be paid to all immigration officers from Grade KP 19 and above.

"KPISM also hopes that the staff housing allowance can be increased to be equivalent to the housing allowance given to Royal Malaysia Police staff and that the promotion period should be shortened to eight years instead of 10," he told Bernama recently.

Meanwhile, the president of the Retired Immigration Officers Association of Malaysia, Datuk Shahul Hamid Abdul Rahim, said he hoped the government could provide a bigger allocation to upgrade dilapidated immigration detention depots across the country.

The crime analyst said Budget 2023 should be seen as the country's preparation to improve infrastructure at the national border in Sarawak following the Indonesian government's decision to move its capital to Kalimantan.

Shahul Hamid also urged the government to provide allocations to upgrade the online system for the department's services especially involving the renewal of international passports, which often receive complaints from the public, to ensure more efficient delivery of services to the people.

-- BERNAMA