Answer to Oral Question PL6

Reading Summary

📖 Reading time: 3 minutes
📊 Word count: 545 words

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG ZAINOL BIN HAJI MOHAMED

QUESTION:

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG ZAINOL BIN HAJI MOHAMED asked the MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS to state the immediate steps by the Ministry to upgrade facilities, add counters, and expedite inspections using modern technology to ensure smooth operations at border control posts that are still experiencing severe congestion and outdated infrastructure that no longer accommodate the number of users, to ensure smooth operations without compromising security.

YANG BERHORMAT MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS

ANSWER:

Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua and Your Honourable Members, thank you to Yang Berhormat Awang Zainol bin Haji Mohamed for the question posed.

It cannot be denied that congestion at immigration control posts often occurs, especially during school holidays and public holidays. Based on daily traffic average data, 3,800 vehicles have passed through the Sungai Tujoh Control Post on regular days, whereas this number increases to 4,500 vehicles during public and school holidays. Meanwhile, at the Kuala Lurah Control Post, there are 1,600 vehicles, increasing to 1,800. At the Labu Control Post, 1,700 vehicles are recorded, increasing to 2,000. Meanwhile, the Ujung Jalan Control Post records 1,600 vehicles, increasing to 1,800. Kaola is pleased to inform that there are also situations where vehicle queues intersect with vehicles waiting for inspection at the Miri Control Post, which in turn affects the smooth operation of inspections at the relevant control posts.

In ongoing response, the Immigration and National Registration Department has taken several measures to improve inspection efficiency and reduce congestion, such as adding more inspection counters at the Sungai Tujoh Control Post, where six (6) departure counters and four (4) arrival counters are currently in use. Meanwhile, during public and school holidays, these counters will be arranged as needed, with diversion routes made to reduce traffic congestion by using entry counters for exit inspections and vice versa.

Since 2022, the Border Management System (BMS) has started to be used. This system uses high-tech passport scanning machines and can scan a passport in five (5) seconds. Additionally, the communication network between control posts and the headquarters uses high-speed Fibre Optic. In addressing this congestion issue, the use of technology alone is not a solution, but optimizing the use of existing infrastructure and human resources also plays an important role.

Towards that, this Ministry has also implemented the One-Stop Counter (OSC) Concept since 2019 as a pilot project at the Labu Control Post and subsequently extended to the Sungai Tujoh Control Post in 2022 by combining the Immigration and National Registration Department and the Royal Customs and Excise Department counters. Alhamdulillah, with the implementation of the One-Stop Counter, inspections for each vehicle can be reduced from over 5 minutes to around 2 minutes or less. This is based on research done by both agencies involved in the pilot project. One of the projects to be implemented under the 12th National Development Plan (RKN) includes adding eight (8) E-Gates in the Arrival Inspection Section, Brunei International Airport (LTAB) and the three (3) E-Gates currently in use will be placed in the Departure Inspection Section with the aim of optimizing the use of technology in making inspections without compromising security.

That is all Kaola can convey in response to the question. Thank you Yang Berhormat Pehin Yang Di-Pertua.