Govt to implement APSS soon as possible - Nur Jazlan

The Government will implement the Advanced Passenger Screening System (APSS) as soon as possible after evaluating several factors, including the cost of implementation, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamad.

He said the APSS will help provide background information of each visitor boarding a plane to come here in advance to enable the authorities to conduct screening.

"It (the system) will apply to all airports and currently, we are also evaluating the need to close the waiting area in the airport building to limit the public (who are not passengers) from entering the area," he told reporters at the Pulai parliamentary constituency Aidilfitri open house here, today.

Nur Jazlan said they are looking at restricting certain areas in the airport as a permanent feature.

Meanwhile, on the recent travel warning issued by the British and Canadian governments to their citizens intending to visit Malaysia, he said it was not a big issue.

"They issued the warning simply because of the Daesh (IS) threat here.

"But we also have to understand that the violence in the West is even more pronounced. In France, which is Britain's neighbour, three incidents of violence have occurred causing many deaths.

"Based on these circumstances, we can also issue travel warnings to our people wanting to go there, but we have not done so for the sake of maintaining diplomatic relations," he said.