Suspect arrested after shots fired at Malaysian official’s vehicle near Thai border
Sign up now: Get insights on the biggest stories in Malaysia
The suspect is now being interrogated, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR – A man has been arrested less than 24 hours after a Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) commander was shot at during an early-morning incident on Feb 25 near the Malaysian-Thai border.
The suspect is now being interrogated, Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
“The safety of our borders is our priority. We have already made an arrest in less than 24 hours,” he said.
On Feb 25, two men on a motorcycle opened fire on a vehicle carrying the Bukit Kayu Hitam AKPS commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Mohd Nasaruddin Mohd Nasir, in a pre-dawn incident near the northern border.
“Border safety is our priority. We will not bow to any threats,” Mr Saifuddin Nasution said in the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia’s House of Representatives, on Feb 26.
He said AKPS’ nature of work means that officers face various cross-border crimes, including those involving weapons, drugs and human trafficking, alongside illegal immigrants and organised crime syndicates.
“The AKPS’ role is to facilitate the seamless mobility of people and goods without any compromise on security,” he said.
“What happened is regrettable, but we are thankful that the commander was unharmed as the shots hit only his vehicle.”
It was reported that the attack occurred at 5.40am, about 1km from the border.
SAC Nasaruddin was on his way to perform subuh prayers when the two men, dressed in black and wearing full-face helmets, approached his vehicle.
The police have reportedly not ruled out the possibility that criminal syndicates operating along the border may have retaliated after the Bukit Kayu Hitam branch of the AKPS scored numerous successful seizures in 2026, including of 100 tonnes of smuggled rice and pork.
Mr Saifuddin Nasution said the police have also detained many smugglers and undocumented migrants in the area.
Later, on a working visit to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency patrol ship Tun Fatimah, Mr Saifuddin Nasution said any need to arm AKPS officers will be determined by the agency’s director-general.
He said his ministry will support any decision to do so.
The latest iteration of the maritime security operation known as Operation Pagar Laut will start on Feb 27 and last until April 10, he said.
Operations carried out from 2020 to 2025 have led to 344 arrests for various offences.
“The value of seizures exceeded RM106 million (S$34.5 million). The state with the most recorded cases is Sabah with 90 cases, Perak with 71 cases and Johor with 52 cases,” Mr Saifuddin Nasution said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
