Immigration Department officers are believed to be involved in hacking and sabotaging the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs), department director-general Sakib Kusmi said today.

Sakib said an ongoing internal investigation has already resulted in 15 sackings and 14 suspensions.

He said there are grounds to believe that the officers, some of whom have been with the department for more than a decade, may be linked to a human trafficking syndicate.

"They deal online. The instructions come from overseas.

"First, they have to access our system, then they can manipulate our system from outside.

"You can see this in our computers, the cursor moves, without someone operating it," Sakib told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport today.

These acts, he added, enabled traffickers to bypass immigration systems.

'More prevalent since 2014'

These activities he said, have been going on for years, but had been becoming even more prevalent since 2014.

Sakib, who was only promoted as director-general early this year, was unable to say how many other immigration officers have had action taken against them in the earlier years.

Asked about criminal action against those involved in the illicit activities, he said that would be up to the police.

Besides the sackings and suspensions, Sakib said eight officers have also had their pay increments suspended, while another 70 officers have been transferred.

Another transfer exercise involving those stationed at KLIA for more than six months would be conducted soon, he said.

Weaknesses in the MyIMMs was highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report 2015.

Among others, the report said the MyIMMs biometric facility, costing RM10.3 million, had been supplied and paid for, but not yet installed or put to use to screen and identify the identities of foreigners as well as Malaysian citizens.