Customs Dept blames media for tainted image
Published: Jul 11, 2011 1:18 PM | Updated: Jul 11, 2011 1:23 PM
The Royal Malaysian Customs today blamed the media for the tainted image suffered by the department following a series of negative reports on the department.
The Royal Malaysian Customs today blamed the media for the tainted image suffered by the department following a series of negative reports on the department.
Referring to the high-profile cases reported by the media including the death of the Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, Customs director-general Mohamed Khalid Yusuf said he had now adopted a silent attitude as the media liked to sensationalise controversial issues concerning the Customs Department.
“I’m now media shy,” he said at the Excellent Service Awards presentation to 92 staff of the Sarawak Customs Department in Kuching today.
On the other hand, Khalid defended the customs leadership, claiming that he had taken initiatives to enhance the integrity of the department since taking over the top post.
He said customs officers must now carry out transformation immediately to improve the weaknesses and to avoid the customs’ top post from being taken over by officers from outside the department.
Among the high-profile cases involving the department which had received wide media coverage was the death of Ahmad Sarbaini, 56, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs, who was found dead at the badminton court on the first floor, Federal Territories office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur on April 6.
He was reported to have gone to the office to meet an investigating officer from the MACC concerning investigations into corruption cases involving 62 customs officers and an inquest was being carried out to determine the cause of his death.
The Customs Department was also alleged to have suffered RM108 billion in losses following an investigation carried out by the MACC but this was later denied by Mohamed Khalid who disclosed that the losses recorded by the department amounted to only RM2.2 billion.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Kuching division of the Federation of Sarawak Journalists Association, Alice Wee, who was also present to cover the function, expressed regret and disappointment at the director-general of customs who had used the function to criticise the media.
“We are disappointed because the media reports are based on facts from credible sources and to put the blame on the media because the (customs’) image has been tarnished is not fair,” she said.
Several representatives of the local media including Radio Television Mlaysia (RTM), who were surprised and disappointed over the statement made by Mohamed Khalid who had slammed the media at the function, also left while the director-general was still delivering his speech.
- Bernama
Referring to the high-profile cases reported by the media including the death of the Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, Customs director-general Mohamed Khalid Yusuf said he had now adopted a silent attitude as the media liked to sensationalise controversial issues concerning the Customs Department.
“I’m now media shy,” he said at the Excellent Service Awards presentation to 92 staff of the Sarawak Customs Department in Kuching today.
On the other hand, Khalid defended the customs leadership, claiming that he had taken initiatives to enhance the integrity of the department since taking over the top post.
He said customs officers must now carry out transformation immediately to improve the weaknesses and to avoid the customs’ top post from being taken over by officers from outside the department.
Among the high-profile cases involving the department which had received wide media coverage was the death of Ahmad Sarbaini, 56, who was attached to the Port Klang Customs, who was found dead at the badminton court on the first floor, Federal Territories office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur on April 6.He was reported to have gone to the office to meet an investigating officer from the MACC concerning investigations into corruption cases involving 62 customs officers and an inquest was being carried out to determine the cause of his death.
The Customs Department was also alleged to have suffered RM108 billion in losses following an investigation carried out by the MACC but this was later denied by Mohamed Khalid who disclosed that the losses recorded by the department amounted to only RM2.2 billion.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Kuching division of the Federation of Sarawak Journalists Association, Alice Wee, who was also present to cover the function, expressed regret and disappointment at the director-general of customs who had used the function to criticise the media.
“We are disappointed because the media reports are based on facts from credible sources and to put the blame on the media because the (customs’) image has been tarnished is not fair,” she said.
Several representatives of the local media including Radio Television Mlaysia (RTM), who were surprised and disappointed over the statement made by Mohamed Khalid who had slammed the media at the function, also left while the director-general was still delivering his speech.
- Bernama
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