SEGAMAT, Johor: The Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) needs its own world-class training academy to produce highly skilled officers in border management technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), said Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Dr Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
He said developing in-house capabilities was crucial to ensuring that AKPS was prepared to face increasingly complex border security challenges and had the capacity to operate independently over the next 10 to 20 years.
“The world-class AKPS Training Academy is important for producing more talented and highly skilled Malaysians in border management technologies, including artificial intelligence, who are future-ready, uphold integrity and are committed to safeguarding national interests,” he said at the passing-out ceremony for the ‘AKPS Basic Training Course Series 1/2026’ at the Segamat Police Training Centre (PULAPOL) here today.
Also present was AKPS’ Director-General, Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
Shamsul Azri said the proposed academy was in line with AKPS’ plans to move beyond a reactive approach focused on securing the country’s entry points towards smart, integrated and intelligence-led border control.
He said AKPS, currently in its first phase as ‘Guardians of Checkpoint’, must go beyond simply controlling the movement of people and goods at border entry points and shift from a reactive to a proactive approach.
“This is the change we must make – from guarding checkpoints to managing the border through smart, integrated and intelligence-led control, ultimately becoming the security leader for the country’s entire border ecosystem,” he said.
He said the development of AKPS’ human capital must keep pace with technological advances and ever-evolving criminal modus operandi.
Shamsul Azri said officers’ training should not end at the training centre but continue through on-the-job training, exposure to real operational situations and mentoring by experienced officers.
He said AKPS had also made encouraging progress in the approximately 23 months since its establishment, despite currently operating with only about 30 per cent of its optimum staffing level of 13,721 personnel.
He said the value of seizures and leakages prevented by AKPS this year had reached RM265 million, about three times the amount recorded in 2025.
Shamsul Azri also expressed his appreciation for AKPS’ success in sending 436 containers of electronic waste (e-waste) back to their countries of origin through collaboration with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Royal Malaysia Police, Department of Environment and port authorities.
Meanwhile, he said the 408 pioneer AKPS officers who completed their three-month basic training today were the first batch to enter the public service under the new AKPS scheme, which came into effect on July 1.
They comprise 39 Penolong Penguasa Sempadan (Grade KS5) and 369 Pembantu Penguasa Sempadan (Grade KS1), who will be stationed at the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link entry point from October 1 in preparation for the full operation of the service on January 1, 2027. – BERNAMA
