KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry is investigating how China national Wang Xu was managed after she was served with a Not-to-Land (NTL) notice at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on June 30.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the management of the NTL was handled by a private company appointed by the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) since 2015, and not by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
"Representatives from the Transport Ministry and MAHB have engaged in discussions with AOC and the appointed company to gather information about the contract duration and terms," he said.
"Action will only be taken after we have obtained the details," he said after officiating the Nature Positive Infrastructure program at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur today.
Loke said since the company was appointed by AOC, so the ministry could not take action against it.
"We cannot intervene because the company in question was not appointed by us. It was AOC that appointed them. Therefore, we need to obtain more detailed information. The company is not operating illegally," he said.
Loke said the company had agreements with airlines and had received Immigration approval since 2015.
"We want to examine their standard operating procedures (SOP) and practices in comparison with other airports, such as KLIA2, which is managed directly by the Immigration Department, as KLIA is the only airport with this private company," he remarked.
He said the Cabinet had discussed how Immigration and airports manage NTL cases.
"NTL is issued to passengers for various reasons, including being on a blacklist or not being able to provide proof of purpose of visit, such as a visa, return flight ticket, or required hotel accommodation as per immigration regulations in any country.
"Therefore, Immigration officers have the right to screen passengers, ask questions, and if they can provide satisfactory answers, individuals suspected of working without a permit, among other violations, can be denied entry.
"So, NTL is not exclusive to KLIA. It exists at every airport. Detained visitors are placed in the NTL area, which is a temporary holding facility and not a lock-up. It has amenities such as sofas, food, and more," he said.
Earlier, MAHB stated that tourists arriving in the country are issued NTL for various reasons.
Their statement informed that reasons for rejection include passport authenticity, visa issues, criminal history, and concerns about security.
The matter falls under the jurisdiction of respective airlines and the Immigration Department, as stated in Appendix 9 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the Immigration Act (Act 155).