THE Public Service Department (PSD) today denied accusations that its director-general had verbally abused an Immigration officer yesterday at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

PSD said the accusations were baseless and malicious and intended to ruin the image of a government official.

It said the DG had simply chided the officer for not adhering to the procedures for travellers leaving the country.

It said the Immigration officer had failed to check the travel documents of the DG as well as the others in his delegation and had instead told them to proceed to the Customs’ counter.

“The DG has reprimanded the Immigration Department at the KLIA, particularly an officer by the name of James Lee, for non-compliance with practices and procedures in not checking travel documents and passports of the DG and his delegation travelling abroad.

“They were directed directly to the Customs inspection counter to continue their journey,” said PSD in a statement.

PSD said the failure to check travellers’ passports is a serious offence under the law and that the guilty officers could be subjected to disciplinary action.

“The officer was not reprimanded in public but instead the DG advised officers to comply with the rules,” it added.

PSD said it took a serious view of the allegations and would recommend that an investigation be carried out into the case.

Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin yesterday ordered the Immigration Department to conduct probe into the incident.

“Even though the case has gone viral, we have to get clear information. I don’t want the claims to damage a person’s image.”

Yesterday night, an Immigration officer at KLIA was said to have been berated in public by a high-ranking government official because no one was at the VIP counter to attend to the latter when he arrived. – August 4, 2022.