Immigration to open several common counters at KLIA during peak periods

Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), which manages a network of 39 airports

KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department will open several common counters at the KL International Airport (KLIA) to reduce the queuing time during the peak travelling periods.

According to Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) on Wednesday,  immigration officers will process any passport be it foreign or Malaysian at any available counters in order to ensure that the lines move faster.

MAHB managing director, Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said this new common counter system will work well following the previously implemented counter guiding light system  installed in September 2017.

“The counter guiding light system will quickly usher passengers to the next counter as soon as it becomes available. This had proven to reduce passenger queueing time significantly,”  he said on Wednesday.

MAHB was informed of the decision by Immigration director-general, Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali  during a three party collaboration meeting among the MAHB, the Immigration Department and the airline operators committee (AOC) held on Tuesday.

The tripartite meeting, chaired by Mustafar, was focused on reducing passenger queue times at the airport. 

There should not be any concerns that the implementation of the common counter system will make queueing time for Malaysian passengers longer as the autogate option is still available.   

Badlisham also said MAHB was piloting a digital initiative with the immigration department as part of a bigger digitalisation initiative at the airport to improve total airport experience for all the airport users. 

“I am also glad to know that Immigration has also committed that 30 counters will be opened and manned around the clock at the arrival level, and 10 counters at the departure level of KLIA Main Terminal,” he said.

Apart from the placement of immigration pre-read kiosks at KLIA last year to enable Malaysians to check their immigration status with ease prior to passing through passport control, counters were also set up by the National Higher 
Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) at the airport to facilitate blacklisted individuals who need to settle their arrears before being allowed to travel abroad.