M'sia, Australia Sign MoU To Counter Transnational Crime

LANGKAWI (Kedah, Malaysia), Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Australia are joining forces to fight transnational crime. This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (Mou) here Friday, to provide cooperation among the various enforcement agencies of both countries, including policy and legal aspects. The MoU was signed by Home Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Australia's Immigration and Border Protection Minister, Scott Morrison. In a joint statement, both ministers agreed that the MoU would build on the long history of cooperation between Malaysia and Australia on maritime, customs and home affairs matters such as immigration and trafficking in persons, including counter-people smuggling. The MoU provides an excellent framework to ramp up efforts to combat transnational crime, including terrorism, human trafficking and serious organised crime. The ministers also agreed on a number of new measures to strengthen regional capability against illegal immigration and transnational crime. These include Australia's support for Malaysia's Advance Passenger Screening System and establishment of a Regional Movement Alert System to help combat fraudulent use of travel documents. Ahmad Zahid said the two countries took an active stance in stamping out transnational crime which undermined the economic progress and social stability in the region. "Current international issues have highlighted the importance of having robust bilateral arrangements, and combating transnational crime is a critical issue in our region. "Malaysia values Australia as a regional partner and is excited to enhance bilateral cooperation to counter criminal activities," he said in the statement. Meanwhile, Morrison said the MoU would strengthen Australia's borders through the sharing of resources and exchange of information between Australia and Malaysia. "Malaysia has been an integral partner in regional and bilateral efforts against people smuggling, particularly as it is a transit country for people seeking to reach Australia by boat. "Today's (Friday) announcement is testament to our close working relations and our shared commitment to addressing transnational crime and related issues," he noted. -- BERNAMA