DEPUTY Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will raise a report on an interview by a Malay newspaper today on the weaknesses in border security to the National Security Council (NSC) next Tuesday.

He said the interview with Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) chairman Yaacob Md Sam should be viewed seriously so that the problem would not fester.

“There are border areas in the country that need sophisticated equipment, such drones, radar and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor intruders.

“I want to give a positive response to the interview because I have raised the matter several times at meetings,” he said  after presenting Deepavali contributions to more than 800 recipients in the Bagan Datuk parliamentary constituency today.

 Zahid, who is also home minister, said only 35% of the country’s land borders were fenced up with either concrete or barbed wire.

“I agree with the EAIC chairman that smugglers not only pass through the CIQS (Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security) Complex, but also through the barbed-wire fences that are not properly maintained.”

Zahid said he would discuss the matter with Defence Minister Hishamuddin Hussein because some border areas, like in Kelantan, came under the jurisdiction of the armed forces, as well as monitored by the General Operations Force (GOF).

He said all agencies should be coordinate their efforts at all times, like in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone. – Bernama, October 8, 2017.