Immigration ready to announce 10-year passport validity, says Saifuddin

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Immigration Department is ready to issue 10-year passports following a study, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution.

"We are ready. We will make the announcement soon," he told reporters when he opened the Immigration Department passport office at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) on Friday (July 12). However, Saifuddin declined to say when.

"We are now ready to issue 10-year Malaysian passports like many other countries," he said, adding that it would cost more for the 50-page passport.

He said countries like Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, as well as the United States, France, and Italy, have been issuing 10-year passports.

He said the Malaysian passport was ranked 12th in the world by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and fifth among Asian nations after Singapore, South Korea, and Japan.

He said 183 countries allowed Malaysian passport holders to enter the country without a visa.

Saifuddin also said they increased the number of counters at Sabah's east coast Tawau International Airport in anticipation of the arrival of international chartered flights.

He said four counters would be for arrivals and two for outbound.

He added that six immigration officers have been placed at the new Immigration passport office at the KKIA, which would be open from 8am to 5am Monday through Friday.