SEPANG, MALAYSIA: All international airports in the country are now highly-secured areas, with the deployment of General Operations Force (PGA) personnel.

The special battalion comprising 800 men which was established following a daring RM3.5 million robbery at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in April will be visible at the Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu international airports as well as at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), here.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said efforts to enhance security was part of Malaysia's international responsibility as well as to meet the expectations of the International Civil Aviation Organisation on the protected areas.

Speaking after checking on the security aspects of KLIA and the LCCT, here, on Thursday, he said the next step in security enhancement would be to link the police command centres and the airports online, so that developments at all airports could be monitored in real time.

"This is so that our crime prevention activities can be improved."