Malaysia border control chief faces probe over viral video showing confrontation with officers at KLIA1
Malaysia’s border control chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain has acknowledged an incident shown in a viral video at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and said he is prepared to accept any action taken by the government.
- Mohd Shuhaily said the incident occurred during an inspection targeting alleged foreign “ulat” activities at KLIA.
- A purported police report alleges that two Special Branch officers were assaulted during the incident.
- Mohd Shuhaily said he would accept any decision taken by the government over the matter.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain has acknowledged an incident at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) after a video showing him confronting another person circulated widely on social media.
Speaking at a media briefing on 1 October 2026, Mohd Shuhaily said he was prepared to accept any action taken by the government over the incident.
The video, purportedly recorded at KLIA Terminal 1, appears to show an officer resembling Mohd Shuhaily angrily confronting another individual. The footage also appears to show the individual’s head being held with considerable force.
Mohd Shuhaily said the incident happened while he and his team were inspecting preparations for the Formula 1 (F1) race scheduled for the weekend.
He said the team then monitored alleged activities involving foreign “ulat” groups after receiving numerous complaints.
In this context, “ulat” refers to individuals suspected of operating unauthorised or improper services around airports, including activities targeting passengers.
An alleged foreign syndicate member was detained during the operation and taken to an aviation security baggage inspection room operated by the Airport Security (AVSEC) team.
“The complaints we received happened to take place in front of our eyes,” Mohd Shuhaily said.
Alleged police report circulated online
A social media post accompanying the video included what was purported to be a police report made by one of the people involved.
According to the purported report, the incident took place on 28 September 2026 at about 1.27pm at KLIA Terminal 1.
The complainant allegedly identified themselves as a Special Branch officer assigned to security coverage during preparations for the arrival of an F1 delegation.
The report alleges that the officer and a colleague saw Mohd Shuhaily processing a Bangladeshi man inside an enclosed room.
After the two officers identified themselves, the report alleges that Mohd Shuhaily questioned why they were following AKPS activities.
It further alleges that he headbutted one complainant four times and pulled the ears of the complainant’s colleague.
The complainant reportedly described suffering a swollen forehead, humiliation and trauma, and requested an investigation and legal action.
Mohd Shuhaily disputes neither the existence of the allegations nor the need for investigation, but declined to comment on whether physical contact occurred.
Mohd Shuhaily gives account of incident
Mohd Shuhaily said the examination and interview at the time involved AKPS operational personnel and AVSEC KLIA.
He said AKPS officers later approached the two individuals and found that they were recording the activities on their mobile phones.
“Instructions were given to them to delete the recordings and I gave the strongest warning,” he said.
Regarding the viral video, Mohd Shuhaily said the matter should be investigated by police, including the circumstances surrounding its distribution.
He said the circulating footage was believed not to have come directly from the original source, but to have been recorded again using another device before being distributed online.
“I do not want to speculate on the purpose of the recording or who distributed it. I leave it to the police to investigate further,” he said.
Two police reports made after incident
Mohd Shuhaily also said two police reports had been made against him following the incident, including one filed at about 5am on Wednesday.
He said he and his team had discussed the matter before making a police report over what they believed could be an attempt to damage the reputation or image of AKPS and his own name.
Asked about allegations of physical contact, he declined to provide further details and said the matter should be left to the authorities.
“I do not want to comment on whether the contact happened or not because later it will become ‘my words against his word’,” he said.
Mohd Shuhaily said he did not consider himself perfect and was prepared to face any consequences arising from the incident.
“For me, changing something comes at a price. If that price is myself, then I will pay it with myself,” he said.
He added that he was appearing before the media to take responsibility for what had happened.
“I stand before all of you to face and take responsibility for what has happened,” he said.
Mohd Shuhaily also said he hoped any decision taken by the government would not affect AKPS personnel, whom he described as the backbone of efforts to strengthen security at Malaysia’s entry points.
