Source: New Straits Times, The (Malaysia)
Source type: Newspaper
Published on: 28 Mar 2007

The Customs Department's intelligence unit has improved significantly, judging by the number of cases solved without public tip-offs. This is revealed after opening the 10th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) working meeting (ASEM Customs DG Meeting).

KOTA KINABALU: The Customs Department’s intelligence unit has improved significantly, judging by the number of cases solved without public tip-offs.

Its director-general Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid said less than 50 per cent of its cases were due to public tip-offs, down from 75 per cent.

"We are definitely getting better. We have a fund to pay informers and there is about RM3 million left over from the RM20 million which was allocated," he said.

Abdul Rahman was speaking after opening the 10th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) working meeting here yesterday.

He said although the department’s intelligence unit was one of the best in Asia, the meeting was a good platform for further improvement.

"We still have a lot to learn and we are confident that the meeting will allow us to share information and ideas.

"Through the meeting, we will be able to upgrade our intelligence systems by taking advantage of the experience and knowledge of other countries," he said.

Abdul Rahman said counterfeit goods and piracy of intellectual property were the biggest issues the department faced.

"Some of our staff still cannot differentiate between fake goods and genuine ones," he said.

The three-day meeting is being attended by Customs officials from countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Britain, Austria, Finland, Poland, Sweden, Luxembourg, Spain, China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, India, the Philippines and Belgium.