10-YEAR VALIDITY PASSPORTS UNDERGO 'FINE-TUNING' BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION

PUTRAJAYA, July 22 (Bernama) -- Passports with 10-year validity will be introduced soon after various aspects of the implementation have been fine-tuned, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Speaking at a press conference following the Immigration Day 2024 Parade today, he said this initiative is expected to offer more options to citizens who frequently travel abroad. 

“A five-year passport often gets filled with stamps, and for those who travel frequently, having a 10-year passport provides an option. However, it will cost more due to additional pages. 

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“We are in the final ‘fine-tuning’ phase, and although it is July now, we will make efforts to implement it soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, he 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.

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“What does that mean? The more countries that allow passport holders to enter without a visa, the more powerful the passport’s ranking.

“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,” he added.

-- BERNAMA