KUALA LUMPUR: The new Malaysian international passport, offering up to 10 years’ validity, will be issued from July 1 in a phased rollout covering 14 passport offices nationwide in the first phase, says Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban.
Speaking at the launch of the new passport, which was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (June 30), Zakaria said the implementation would be carried out in phases across 71 passport offices nationwide.
He said the first phase, beginning in July, would involve 14 passport issuing offices, including state offices and Urban Transformation Centres (UTCs), with full rollout expected to be completed in seven phases by August.
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“This first phase in July covers 14 passport issuing offices nationwide, and issuance will begin in phases at Immigration offices.
“Based on our plan, from this month until August, the rollout will be carried out in seven phases. It will be implemented gradually,” he said.
Also present at the launch of the new Malaysian International Passport was Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The new passport allows Malaysians aged 18 and above to choose between a five-year or 10-year validity period. The 10-year option is priced at RM350, while the five-year passport remains at RM200.
Malaysia is among the earliest countries to introduce the ePassport system, having done so in 1998. The new passport complies with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and incorporates updated security technologies, including holograms, UV printing, latent images and guilloche patterns.
Zakaria said the upgraded travel document is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the security of national identity documents, in line with Malaysia’s status as one of the world’s most powerful passports.
He said the new passport features 94 security elements, up from 49 in the current version, making it more secure and difficult to forge.
“Previously, we had 49 security features. For the new passport, we have increased this to 94 features, making it more secure and more difficult to forge,” he said.
Among the enhanced features are holographic elements, ultraviolet (UV) printing, hidden visual elements, and specialised forensic security features.
Zakaria said new-generation printing machines used for the passport are capable of producing up to 60 passports per hour, supporting current demand of around 160,000 passports per month.
He said Malaysia currently produces between 180,000 and 220,000 passports monthly on average, and expects demand to increase slightly following the introduction of the new passport.
However, he advised the public not to rush to replace their existing passports if they are still valid.
“There is no need to change it immediately. If your passport is still valid, continue using it. Only replace it when necessary, for example when it has expired or when applying for a new one,” he said.
