Sunday February 20, 2011

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/2/20/nation/8101996&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China as part of a collaboration to tackle transnational organised crime.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the landscape and threat against the country’s security had changed due to globalisation.

“Organised crime like drug smuggling, human trafficking, prostitution and money laundering are becoming more prevalent with the world becoming borderless.

“We need to collaborate with others to tackle this problem in the international context,” he told reporters after receiving a courtesy call from Chinese Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu here yesterday.

He said the collaboration would not only focus on the exchange of information but also involve joint training, border control and an in-depth study on crimes.

Hishammuddin said the MoU would touch on six aspects that would be the focus of the Malay­sian Academy on Trans­national Organised Crime (MATOC) which would be set up in Langkawi by the middle of the year.

The six aspects are violence, human trafficking, drug smuggling, money laundering, cyber crime and arms smuggling.

“Both China and Malaysia have agreed that we have ‘zero tolerance’ against syndicates involved in these vices,” he said.

Hishammuddin said that last year, 5,792 Chinese nationals had been caught in Malaysia for abusing their social passes by working as prostitutes while 123 others misused their marriage visas.

Another 49 Chinese nationals were caught for abusing their student visas, he said.

On the proposed amendments to the Internal Security Act (ISA), Hishammuddin said the papers were ready and the Attorney-General would present them to the Cabinet once a date was fixed.

“There were concerns and disapproval on issues like detention period, treatment against detainees and their families, appeal and detention without trial.

“However, all that can be fulfilled by ensuring that they meet the current needs through amendments,” he said.

He said the presentation would include the proposed amendments on five ISA-related Acts – namely the Emergency (Public Order and Crime Prevention) Ordinance, Dangerous Drugs (Spe­­cial Preventative Measures) Act, Restricted Residence Act, Banishment Act and Crime Prevention Act.