PUTRAJAYA: Passports with 10-year validity will be introduced after various aspects of the implementation have been fine-tuned, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said the initiative is expected to offer more options to citizens, especially those who frequently travel abroad.
“A five-year passport often gets filled with stamps. For those who travel frequently, having a 10-year passport provides an option. However, it will cost more due to additional pages.
“We are in the final ‘fine-tuning’ phase. We will make efforts to implement it soon,” he said at a press conference after the Immigration Day 2024 celebration yesterday, Bernama reported.
Saifuddin said the Immigration Department is committed to maintaining the swift issuance of Malaysian passports, which currently takes 60 minutes for the physical process, and ensuring that its security features remain at the highest standard.
He noted that Malaysian passports are ranked 11th in the world according to the Global Passport Power Rank 2024 by passportindex.org.
“What does this mean? The more countries that allow passport holders to enter without a visa, the more powerful the passport’s ranking.
PUTRAJAYA, 22 Julai -- Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail berucap pada sambutan Hari Imigresen 2024 di Dataran Pahlawan hari ini.--fotoBERNAMA (2024) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA
“Our security features are maintained, sustained and improved,” he added, noting that the number of passports issued as of July 15 is 1.45 million.
From Jan 1 to July 15, the movement of Malaysians, including permanent residents, exiting and entering the country totalled 65.5 million, he said.
“Movement of foreigners in and out of Malaysia was 35 million, and the number of foreign workers was 2.36 million.”
On another matter, Saifuddin said the use of the QR code system at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) of Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Johor has been well received by users.
From June 1 to July 18, a total of 197,901 bus passengers at BSI and 311,130 bus and motorcycle passengers at KSAB had used the QR code system.
“The initiative has succeeded in reducing the waiting period by between 70% and 80%. This number is expected to increase to further reduce congestion at the Malaysia-Singapore entry point,” he said.
The minister said the use of the system will be extended to all travellers, including non-citizens and long-term pass holders, as well as travelling by car in the next phase.
