MALAYSIA DEPLOYS NEW IMMIGRATION ARRIVAL DATA

S E C R E T KUALA LUMPUR 000148 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - ADDED CAPTION NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP/MTS AND DS/IT/ITA NCTC FOR HSTC E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KFRD MY SUBJECT: MALAYSIA DEPLOYS NEW IMMIGRATION ARRIVAL DATA SYSTEM Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and D) ¶1. (SBU) Malaysian Immigration has upgraded its collection of arriving passenger data, moving from paper landing forms to an electronic system. The system, a product developed locally, is called the Single Immigration Platform System (SIPS). Immigration deployed SIPS in late January at 44 entry points. SIPS is used to collect arrival data of all foreigners at these entry points. The government plans to expand this program to all ports of entry, according to Immigration officials. Meanwhile, the remaining border crossings still use paper immigration forms. ¶2. (C) At the invitation of Immigration officials, an Embassy consular officer recently observed the new system at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. All passports are read electronically, and data from the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) prepopulates data fields such as passport number and traveler name. Passports without MRZ's are keystroked in by the officer. The officer then enters other data such as age, citizenship, and gender. Immigration scans the boarding pass too. A second data entry screen contains more details about the passport/travel document, such as place of issuance and validity. Immigration then asks and codes from a drop down menu the reason for the visit -- business, residence, tourism, etc. They then record the length of the visa (90 day social pass, permanent resident, long term worker, etc.). The third and final screen records where the visitor is staying (but only in general terms like hotel or private residence). Finally, officials record how many times the person has been to Malaysia. The traveler receives no card, only a stamp in his/her passport. ¶3. (S/NF) Comment: This post has had long-standing concerns about the lack of attention to travel documents and passenger profiling given to arriving travelers by Malaysian Immigration. Per our observation of the new procedures, the Immigration officials were much more engaged with travelers because of SIPS. The system forces Immigration officers to ask questions and enter data. Reportedly, Immigration officials already have caught people overstaying their visas, and questioned people who have made a suspicious number of trips to Malaysia in the short time since the program stood up. We understand that the Royal Malaysian Police Special Branch, charged with counter-terrorism and domestic intelligence, have complained about SIPS' lack of specific addresses and telephone contacts, information that was available under the old system. Even so, electronic access to the movement of travelers seems a significant upgrade from the previous system, and when effectively implemented should upgrade Malaysia's ability to monitor its borders. Post will have future opportunities to learn more about Malaysia's deployment of the new immigration arrival data system. KEITH