Autogates To Be Installed At Border Entry Points In 2026 Says Saifuddin

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Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says the use of the technology will minimise physical interactions at border counters, streamline processes, and help address integrity issues.
In August, the media reported that the home ministry planned to install 635 autogates at 123 entry points under the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: Automated gates will be installed at the country’s border entry points under the supervision of the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) beginning in the second quarter of next year, said home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail
He said the use of the technology will minimise physical interactions at border counters, streamline processes, and help address integrity issues.
“This initiative is a key step towards strengthening border control, curbing smuggling activities, and managing refugee-related issues within the country,” he said.
He was speaking as a panellist at the 8th Forum Ilmuwan Malaysia Madani chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur.
In August, the media reported that the home ministry planned to install 635 autogates at 123 entry points under AKPS.
Saifuddin also stressed that integrity remains a non-negotiable element in safeguarding national security and sovereignty.
He said enforcement agencies under the ministry were tasked with protecting Malaysia’s 600,000 sq km of territorial waters, while facing various transnational crime threats.
These threats include the smuggling of drugs, firearms, cooking oil, diesel, and petrol, as well as piracy, illegal immigration, and refugee influxes.
“Our region is a hotspot for synthetic drugs, and 80% of them enter via sea routes. We cannot keep repeating the same methods and expect different results. This is why we must embrace technology,” he said.
Also present at the forum were Malaysian Institute of Integrity CEO Ahmad Ramdzan Daud and Abdul Rahman Embong from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Malaysian and International Studies. - FMT

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