PETALING JAYA: The connection between corruption and widespread firearms smuggling across national borders in the ASEAN region has placed Malaysia under concerning scrutiny.
According to Scoop quoting the regional director of the International Association for Counter-Terrorism and Security Professionals of Southeast Asia (IACSP-SEA), Andrin Raj, said the there are security concerns stemming from the availability of both legal and illegal firearms in the country.
“In regards to Malaysia having strict laws on gun possessions, that itself does not warrant (an individual) to not be able to possess a weapon in the country. (It is quite) the contrary as the law clearly identifies ‘gun possession’.
“Therefore, whether legal or illegal, the availability to purchase or possess firearms is common and a serious security concern for law enforcement agencies,“ he was quoted as saying by the news portal.
Raj gave details on how handguns can be easily obtainable in southern Thailand’s Pattani region, with illicit transactions often taking place at the Hatyai border, thereby facilitating the flow of weapons into Malaysia.
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He further exposed the existence of clandestine weapons manufacturers in the Southern Philippines, capable of producing M16A1 replicas and smuggling small handguns into Sabah through cross-border markets.
“These makeshift manufacturing factories can shut down and open anywhere in the jungles of the Southern Philippines.
“It is also difficult for the Philippine military to track or shut them down.
“Small handguns are also now being manufactured and smuggled to Sabah via cross-border markets at the shores of Sabah – where trade is free to operate between Malaysians and Filipinos, with no Customs checks from both sides,“ he was further quoted as saying.
Criminologist Kamal Affandi Hashim also said that despite numerous interceptions by authorities, the threat posed by firearms remains potent.
He called for enhanced random checks at licensed companies and stricter enforcement measures to prevent the misuse of legally acquired firearms.
“Gun licences are given to either individuals or issued to companies. Although there is an element of control such as the specific usage and ammunition permitted, this does not guarantee that the permit holders will abide by the rules all the time. Thus, it may be used for an entirely different purpose or misused by the licence holder,“ he was quoted as saying.
He also proposed increased budget allocations for border security to mitigate smuggling risks, urging innovative strategies to strengthen enforcement capabilities.
These concerns come after the two recent high-profile cases involving illegal weapons in the country; a local couple who was identified as the suppliers of six guns and 158 bullets to an Israeli citizen, Shalom Avitan that was later charged with firearms possession and trafficking, as well as the shooting incident at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) resulted in the arrest of a suspect, 38-year-old Hafizul Harawi, who injured a bodyguard and was also found to be in possession of firearms.
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