MALAYSIA IS set to introduce new designs for its passports and MyKad this year, following an announcement by the Home Minister earlier this month.
Shortly after the announcement, images claiming to show the new designs began circulating on social media, complete with detailed infographics about security features and renewal processes.
But have the designs for the new MyKad and passport really been leaked?
Verdict:
FALSE
A viral post on TikTok claimed to display images of the new 2026 passport and MyKad designs, according to fact-checking website MyCheck.my.
The infographic-style post featured visuals purporting to be the new designs for both documents, with the caption "PASPORT BARU KITA".
It also displayed various information including new security features, renewal processes and fees charged.
The source of the information in the infographic was claimed to be from the Home Minister and dated Jan 8, 2026. However, the post was subsequently deleted.
MyCheck.my found that observations of the infographic revealed various spelling errors, the use of meaningless characters and overlapping letters.
These characteristics are commonly associated with visual content generated using generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The name of the Home Minister displayed in the infographic also did not match the official usage commonly used by the media.
The official name typically used is Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and there were overlapping letters in his name in the infographic.
Such error patterns, including inconsistent spelling and non-existent words, indicate the infographic was most likely produced automatically rather than through careful human editing.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail did indeed announce on Jan 8, 2026, that the government would introduce new designs for Malaysian passports and MyKad this year.
However, the announcement was never accompanied by any official visuals, detailed designs or infographics like those displayed in the viral post.
Implementation will only begin in six months, and old documents can still be used until they expire.
Based on the date displayed and the reference to the Home Minister, the infographic was likely produced by quoting or mimicking basic information from the official announcement before being presented again in an automatically generated visual form.
Following the spread of the viral images, the Home Ministry issued a media statement emphasising that the images of the new dark blue passport and MyKad designs circulating on social media are fake and were not issued by the ministry.
"The new passport and MyKad designs going viral on social media are not official images and were not issued by the Home Ministry," the statement read.
"The visual design is not authentic and does not represent the actual design of the new passport or MyKad as claimed," it added.
The Home Ministry reminded the public to always obtain information from legitimate and authoritative sources to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of information.
The public can obtain official information and the latest developments regarding the new passport and MyKad through official media channels and websites of the Home Ministry and related government departments and agencies, namely the Home Ministry at 
www.moha.gov.my, the Immigration Department of Malaysia at www.imi.gov.my and the National Registration Department at www.jpn.gov.my.
References:
1. 
https://mycheck.my/more.php?
