KUALA LUMPUR – Experts have underscored the alarming nexus between corruption and firearms smuggling across national borders in the Asean region.
According to them, there is an urgent need for robust measures to curb the proliferation of such items in Malaysia, amid a series of high-profile cases involving illegal weapons.
Andrin Raj, the regional director of the International Association for Counter-Terrorism and Security Professionals of Southeast Asia (IACSP-SEA), noted that firearms smuggling – a longstanding threat within South East Asia and South China Sea regions – is exacerbated by lax border controls.
“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.
“So, in nature, it is (made) easily available to possess these kinds of weapons,” he told Scoop.
Weapons trading, movement
Raj noted that handguns are readily available in southern Thailand’s Pattani region. Illicit transactions often occur at the Hatyai border, facilitating the flow of weapons into Malaysia.
He cited recent cases, including the arrest of a local couple supplying weapons to an Israeli citizen and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) shooting, as examples of the accessibility and use of illegal firearms.
Furthermore, Raj highlighted the presence of clandestine weapons manufacturers in the Southern Philippines. They are said to be producing M16A1 replicas and smuggling small handguns into Sabah through cross-border markets, thus posing significant challenges to law enforcement.
“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 Philipinos, with no Customs checks from both sides.”
Crime analyst Kamal Affandi Hashim said that while authorities intercept firearms in many instances, the potential threats remain real.
He called for enhanced random checks at licenced 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 said.
How to curb firearms smuggling
Raj advocated for the implementation of agreed-upon Asean blueprints to combat weapons smuggling. He stressed the importance of addressing corruption within law enforcement and providing better training and resources.
Meanwhile, Kamal proposed increased budget allocations for border security to mitigate smuggling risks, urging innovative strategies to strengthen enforcement capabilities.
However, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s criminologist and psychologist Geshina Ayu Mat Saat acknowledged the challenges of monitoring every border crossing but stressed the importance of forensic analysis in identifying illegal firearms.
She pointed out Malaysia’s stringent regulations governing firearms ownership and usage as crucial safeguards against misuse.
“Individuals who illegally obtain guns would put in the effort to reduce gun detection at the point of purchase, all through transit, arrival at the final destination, and even when they move about (concealed weapons on the body or nearby).
“Each firearm and bullet can be physically identifiable. Even when identification numbers on a gun are scrapped off, specific forensic science analysis can be done.
“Buying a firearm does not necessarily mean ownership or gaining a permit to use a gun. In Malaysia, buying, owning, and using firearms are separate issues with strict regulations,” she said.
“Despite the possibility of firearms misuse, generally, that is not often the case.
“The process to get a permit is lengthy and involves a lot of evidence to maximise the protection of people, property, and wildlife. It also minimises danger caused by the owner,” she added.
Recently, a local couple was identified by the authorities as the suppliers of guns and ammunition to Israeli citizen Shalom Avitan, who was apprehended by the police on March 27.
After the arrest, Shalom Avitan was charged on April 12 with firearms possession and trafficking, involving six guns and 158 bullets.
Meanwhile, the husband-and-wife couple, who were alleged to have supplied Shalom with the firearms and ammunition, were charged in Klang Sessions Court on April 8.
Sharifah Faraha Syed Husin was charged with illegally possessing a CZ75 P-01 CAL.9 Luger gun, while her husband Abdul Azim Mohd Yasin, 43, was accused of being an accomplice.
Meanwhile, on Sunday (April 14), Malaysia was rattled by reports of a shooting at KLIA, where the suspect allegedly aimed at his wife but inadvertently struck her bodyguard.
However, authorities successfully apprehended the suspect, 38-year-old Hafizul Harawi, in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, the following day. Upon his arrest, the police confiscated his firearms. – April 16, 2024