PETALING JAYA: Despite arriving as early as dawn and waiting in long queues, Malaysians applying for the new 10-year passport say the extended validity made the wait worthwhile.
Applicants also described the renewal process as smooth and efficient on the second day of the passport’s rollout.
Administrative manager Adeline Cheah, 63, from Petaling Jaya, said she arrived at the Kelana Jaya Immigration Office here at 7.30am to obtain a queue number and completed her passport renewal within an hour.
She planned to visit South Korea in December, but her passport had expired in May.
“For RM175, I managed to renew my passport for 10 years. The process was very efficient and the officers were helpful,” she said, adding she had no issue with the waiting time.
Student Phoebe Wong, 30, also arrived early, reaching the immigration office at 7am.
“I paid RM350 for the 10-year passport. We still had to wait a while, but it wasn’t much of a hassle.
“I’m studying in the UK and travel frequently, so the 10-year passport is definitely worth it,” she said.
Retired doctor Joseph Kwan, 73, also praised the efficiency of the process.
“I arrived at 7am. Since I have obtained my queue number online, I only had to wait until the office opened at 8am.
“And 30 minutes later, my passport was ready,” he said, adding he would be travelling to Australia in August.
Retired nurse Noor Inne Mat Nawi, 73, from Shah Alam, waited from 7am and collected her passport about one hour and 45 minutes later.
“I am planning to go to China. The process was very good and senior citizens were assisted well.
“Getting the queue number was a bit challenging for someone who isn’t very tech-savvy like me because I had to navigate my phone and figure out how to get it. However, I managed,” she said.
Selangor Immigration Department deputy director (control) Mohd Khusairi Kamarudin said that, for now, those who wish to obtain the 10-year passport can only apply at the Immigration offices at KLIA, Kelana Jaya, and UTC Selangor in Shah Alam.
“We will introduce the service to the other offices in the state in stages.”
The passport was rolled out on July 1.
He said on the first day itself, UTC Selangor processed 90 applications for the new passport, followed by KLIA (62) and Kelana Jaya (50).
Mohd Khusairi said the existing five-year passport will remain available at RM200.
“We don’t want people to think that they must switch to the 10-year passport,” he added.
The fee for the 10-year passport is RM350 for applicants aged 13 to 59. Senior citizens are entitled to a 50% discount at RM175, while persons with disabilities (OKU cardholders) are eligible for the travel document free of charge.
