SAFEBORDERS (DIGITAL CONVERSATIONAL AGENT): PREVENTION OF SMUGGLING OF CIGARETTES, DRUGS AND CONTROLLED GOODS AT MALAYSIAN BORDERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JISTM.1144046Keywords:
Border Security, Chatbot, Digital Conversational Agent, Incident Reporting, Public Advocacy, Safeborders, User AcceptanceAbstract
This study presents the design, development, and usability evaluation of SafeBorders, an AI-powered bilingual digital conversational agent developed to support public advocacy and community engagement in preventing the smuggling of cigarettes, drugs, and controlled goods at Malaysian borders. Grounded in Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, Social Agency Theory, and Conversational Design Principles, and guided by user-centered design, SafeBorders delivers general safety information, emergency guidance, and a structured incident reporting mechanism across web and mobile platforms in English and Bahasa Melayu. The system was developed in alignment with Malaysia’s National Security Policy (2021-2025) and underwent expert review and client feedback prior to user evaluation. A mixed-method summative evaluation involving 32 participants was conducted using an instrument adapted from the USE Questionnaire (Lund, 2001), supplemented by a focus group discussion with 10 participants guided by 11 discussion questions. Descriptive and thematic analyses revealed high levels of perceived usefulness, ease of use, ease of learning, and user satisfaction. Participants reported that SafeBorders effectively improved their awareness of cross-border smuggling prevention, provided a smooth and accessible interaction experience, and offered a practical and trustworthy platform for incident reporting. The feedback further highlighted the value of the Report Incident function, report monitoring dashboard, and Emergency Instructions feature, while also suggesting enhancements such as voice input support, additional language options, and GPS-based location detection. The findings demonstrate that SafeBorders is an effective, user-friendly, and reliable digital advocacy tool with strong potential to support public participation in Malaysia’s border security efforts.
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