‘Even burger stalls look better’: Home minister orders upgrades for Malaysia’s border posts

PUTRAJAYA, April 13 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today instructed several Malaysia’s border posts to be upgraded as some are currently in a state that is less presentable than even a burger stall.

He said he personally inspected several border checkpoints yesterday in Kedah and Perak, including Padang Besar, Bukit Kayu Hitam, Durian Burung and Pengkalan Hulu, and found that some duty posts used by security forces were in poor condition.

“I cannot stand it when I see the duty posts of our officers on the ground, their shelter looks like a burger stall. Even a burger stall looks nicer,” he said in his speech during his ministry’s monthly assembly.

Saifuddin said he had instructed the Home Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Awang Alik Jeman to urgently upgrade the facilities, particularly at Pengkalan Hulu, adding that only a small number of units were needed to improve the situation.

He said the upgrades should not require significant expenditure and could be carried out immediately to ensure a more conducive working environment for frontline officers.

“I told the secretary-general, it is not a big number, just two or three units. We should improve them. We did the same for the Wang Kelian post. The cost is not that big. We will expedite it,” he said.

Saifuddin said the improvements were important as they reflected the government’s commitment to frontline personnel tasked with preventing cross-border smuggling and monitoring vehicle movement at remote posts.

“We want to show that our leadership in home ministry cares, and even small things like this we resolve them,” he said.