UPDATED VERSION. Computer records tell no lies — Not just one, but all 12 officers in the same shift plus their Head of Department are transferred.

Following the expose by Screenshots, more Immigration officers are to shape up or ship out of Penang International Airport for showing up late at their workstations and causing flight delay.

Tonight, the evening edition of Guang Ming Daily reported that a total of 13 Immigration officers stationed at the Penang International Airport are to be disciplined and transferred to the agency’s other offices in George Town and the Penang Port.

Little Birds told Screenshots that computer records indicated the first passenger bound on Monday’s flight AK5052 was only cleared by the Immigration at 05.57am, barely 3 minutes before the scheduled take-off time at 06.00am .

There could have been relaxed security procedure as the Immigration officers rushed through the border clearance process for the 99 passengers and 6 crew members within 12 minutes.

The last passport stamped for the flight was digitally captured at 06.09am, Little Birds said.

Transfers ordered by D-G, Putrajaya

Earlier today, Screenshots confirmed that Fatimah Binti Hashim, the Assistant Director of Immigration heading the operations at the Penang International Airport, had been transferred on a 24-hour notice, effective October 1.

Immi-Penang_Rahman-Harun_Guangming.JPGIt has now been confirmed that the 13 ordered on immediate transfer comprised assistant director Fatimah, and the entire shift of officers who were placed on the same duty roster with the handful of culprits who showed up late for work on September 28, causing the popular 6.00am AirAsia AK5052 direct flight to Hong Kong to be delayed by 31 minutes.

Penang state Immigration Director Abdul Rahman Harun (picture left), who evidently retracted from his defensive stance earlier, told Guang Ming that the directive for the immediate transfer was ordered by Dato’ Abdul Rahman bin Othman, the Director-General of Immigration stationed at Putrajaya.

In an another development, effective from today, the Immigration Dept will be running a 24-hour service at the Penang International Airport.

The round-the-clock service will be manned by three groups of 6 officers each, who will change shifts at 07.00 am, 03.00pm and 11.00pm daily.

For the record, Penang is the largest international airport outside KLIA in terms of aircraft movements and passenger and cargo volumes in the country.

FAMOUS LAST WORDS… I had dispatched immediate accolades to the Immigration Dept for taking swift action on the culprits.

I also suggested that all agencies involved in the front-line services at all international airports should rekindle customer-care and courtesy campaigns to enhance travellers’ perception about Penang and Malaysia.

Read it in Guang Ming online.