Welcome Rakan Sarawak March 2005

Rangkaian Khidmat Awam Negeri Sarawak

A MONTHLY SUPPLEMENT OF RAKAN SARAWAK BULLETIN

(People, events, activities and programmes which make for a total quality-managed Sarawak Civil Service)

ISSN 1394-5726

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Royal Customs Malaysia Embraces Innovation

The Detector Tower moves in
alignment with the Source Enclosure to receive the gamma rays

To innovate is to bring in new methods, ideas or make changes. This has certainly been the case with the Royal Customs Malaysia’s Import/ Export Branch in Kuching, who has embraced innovation with open arms. In June 2002, an innovative inspection system was installed by the agency. Called the ‘Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System’ or VACIS II, the US-based technology has vastly improved the inspection process at Senari Port.

Currently, VACIS II is the only machine in Sarawak that uses gamma rays to scan containers at the port (the airport system uses x-rays). The images projected by VACIS II’s observation camera onto the computer screen in the control centre validate the types of cargo inside the respective container. The images however do not provide details on the quantity of cargo.

At a cost of RM6.6 million, VACIS II is able to scan a stationary container in 3 minutes via the moving detector tower and source enclosure. On average, 40 containers are scanned per day. The system only requires the manpower of 2 persons – one officer inside the control tower and one officer outside as the safety and traffic controller.

Accuracy of scan is very good, which in turn has increased the duties collected by the agency since the installation of VACIS II. The improvement in duties is also due in part to the excise duties now imposed by the state government. Revenue generated by the Royal Customs Malaysia is the second highest with the Income Tax Department topping the list.

Without the VACIS II, manual checking of a container takes between 2-3 days and requires 2 persons per container. The containers that go through VACIS II are mainly from the import and transshipment sectors. The Kuching Port Authority charges customers for container handling that go through manual checking, but with the VACIS II system, container-handling process is not necessary, thus providing additional savings for companies. The effectiveness and efficiency of this new scanning system will be extended to other ports in Sarawak in the future.

Besides embracing and utilizing new technological systems, the Import/ Export Branch, Kuching, is working to enhance their quality standards through various ways and means. This year, the agency is upgrading their MS ISO 9001-1994 certification obtained in October 2001 to the latest MS ISO 9001-2000 certification.

The Source Enclosure
emits the gamma rays

The Import/ Export Branch, Kuching, is also looking into implementing a paperless Customs Declaration process through the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for the import section (Form K1). This paperless environment has been achieved for the export section (Form K2), which was successfully implemented in May 2004.

In addition, the agency organizes frequent training courses to provide opportunities for staff to share knowledge and upgrade their skills. Dialogue sessions and informal gatherings with customers also assist in facilitating the customs process and procedures.

A staunch supporter of a quality culture, the agency participates regularly in the annual Quality Control Circle (QCC) Convention, where in September 2003, their QCC team – Senari – was placed second in the State QCC Convention 2003. All these emphasis on innovation and quality by the agency is in line with its vision to provide services that are respected, acknowledged and of world-class standard.


The innovative agency constantly strives to provide quality services to customers	The Safety and Traffic Controller has to ensure the container vehicle is aligned properly for the scan

The online paperless Customs Declaration for import (Form K1) has greatly improved the customs processing time for the agency	Besides providing images, the VACIS II systems also logs in data about the container

The Import/Export Branch, Kuching, was originally known as the Port Branch, Kuching. On 1 Jan 2002, both the Pending and Senari Ports were restructured and became known as the Import/Export Branch, Kuching. Its main function is to handle import and export via the sea. Pending Port handles the import and export of conventional or bulk cargo, while Senari Port handles containerization. The two ports are located 14km from each other. The newly appointed Director of Royal Customs Malaysia, Kuching, is Puan Hajah Madena bte Alwi.