Improving the Border Agency Cooperation
Among the OIC Member States for Facilitating Trade
86
4.3. Case Malaysia
Highlights:
 Malaysia has a powerful national government-industry body, Special Task Force to Facilitate
Business (PEMUDAH), to promote trade facilitation. The body provides an open forum for
interactive discussion and a platform for pilot projects.
 Malaysia has strengthened collaboration across different border control agencies to step up
the fight against cross-border drug trafficking and people smuggling as well as to improve
enforcement of the country’s territorial waters
 Malaysia would benefit from a broader international recognition of its national AEO program
and air cargo security regime.
4.3.1. Setting the scene for iBAC @Malaysia
Malaysia overview
Malaysia is a South East Asian federal parliamentary monarchy that comprises 13 states.
Geographically Malaysia consists of two parts separated by 500 kilometres of the South China
Sea: The Malaysian Peninsula and East Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. On the
mainland, where the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur is located, Malaysia shares a 646km long
land border with its northern neighbour Thailand along the Malay Peninsula. On the Island of
Borneo, the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah share a long 2019km land border with
Indonesia. Sarawak also has a 481km wide border with Brunei, a small oil-rich sultanate at the
North-western coast of Borneo.
Largely thanks to its advanced logistics capabilities, Malaysia has emerged one of the
Southeast Asian powerhouses of regional trade and tourism over the past decade. The
mainland Malaysia has two large sea ports, Port Klang near Kuala Lumpur and Port Tanjung
Pelepas in the state of Johor at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. Both ports rank among the top
20 of the busiest container ports in the world. Kuala Lumpur International Airport is by far the
busiest airport in Malaysia in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. The airport ranks the 23rd in
the world in passenger traffic, and it is also a major global hub for air cargo. Malaysia has a
land connection with four neighbouring countries. There are two rail crossings and eight major
road crossings along the Malay-Thai border in the North155 . Several road crossings connect
East Malaysia with Brunei and Indonesia on the island of Borneo. There are also a busy rail and
road connection to the island country Singapore at the end of the Malay Peninsula.
155 Lord and Tangtrongjita, 2014