Shortly after officiating the opening of the new LRT3 line yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to launch Malaysia’s new international passport tomorrow, 30 June. The redesigned document features 94 security enhancements aimed at making it more resistant to counterfeiting and forgery.
The launch will take place at the Parliament lobby. Beyond strengthening security, the redesigned passport is part of the government’s broader effort to improve Malaysia’s identity documents.
For context, the new passport doubles the number of security features found on the current version, increasing the total from 49 to 94. These features include holograms, ultraviolet printing, special security threads used in its stitching, and more.
While the new passports will become the standard moving forward, there is no rush to get one. Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said that existing documents will remain valid until their expiry date, allowing Malaysians to renew them only when necessary instead of crowding immigration offices to obtain the new documents.
In separate but related news, it might not be a good idea to renew your passport just yet, as the Malaysian government is introducing one with a 10-year validity period. Unfortunately, the Immigration Department has yet to update its website with details on how Malaysians can apply for the longer-validity document at the time of writing. Perhaps we might hear more about this detail tomorrow.
(Source: Bernama)
