PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s new international passport, equipped with 94 security features and tougher safeguards against forgery, will be rolled out in stages beginning June 1, says Datuk Zakaria Shaaban.
The Immigration director-general said the upgraded Malaysian International Passport (PMA) includes additional features such as holograms, ultraviolet printing and special security threads used in the passport stitching.
The current passport has 49 security features, while the new version has twice as many, making it harder to forge.
The new passport will be rolled out at four offices first, namely the Immigration headquarters in Putrajaya, the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Office, the Urban Transformation Centre passport office in Wangsa Maju and the Shah Alam Immigration Office.
It will be rolled out in stages to all branch offices by the end of July.
Zakaria said the existing passports would remain valid until their expiry date.
He also reminded the public not to use photographs generated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology when applying for passports online.
Meanwhile, Zakaria said the department had deported 19,700 illegal immigrants to their respective countries as of May 14, after intensified enforcement.
He said the deportations involved detainees placed at immigration depots after being found to have committed various offences under immigration laws and regulations.
“The five highest nationalities deported were Indonesians (7,936 individuals), followed by Myanmar nationals (4,005), Bangladeshis (2,453), Filipinos (1,825) and Thais (1,008),” he said.
He added the department had carried out 4,785 enforcements nationwide as of May 15.
