Customs dept moves to make Pangkor duty-free

SITIAWAN: The Royal Malaysian Customs Department will initiate amendments to several acts to enable Pangkor to become a duty-free island next year as proposed in Budget 2018.
Its director-general, Datuk Seri T. Subromaniam, said the acts included the Goods and Services Tax Act 2014 and the Customs Act 1967.
"I went to Pangkor Island last week with the State Customs director and we had discussions with Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir," he said to reporters after closing the Malaysia-Indonesia Customs Coordinated Marine Patrol Operation (Ops Patkor Kastima) Series 32B 2017 at the Customs Marine Base in Kampung Acheh here today.
Also present was director-general of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) Indonesia, Heru Pambudi.
Earlier, in his speech, Subromaniam said 'Ops Patkor Kastima' involved two phases, namely the surface phase of Patkor Kastima 23A which took place in Indonesia from Sept 7 to 20 and the Patkor Kastima Operation Series 32B which was conducted from Nov 8 to today.
He said Patkor Kastima, held since 1994, was aimed at combating smuggling in the Strait of Malacca.
More than 120 Malaysian and Indonesian Customs personnel and officers were involved in the latest exercise, with 17 boats being utilised for operations involving six patrol sectors in Malaysia and five in Indonesia. – Bernama