Home Ministry: Six in 10 passports issued post-pandemic not even being used

John Bunyan

Updated 10 April 2023 at 11:25 pm·2-min read

KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 — The Ministry of Home Affairs reportedly said that only 40 per cent of the 2.8 million passports issued by the Immigration Department post-Covid-19 are being used for immediate travel purposes.

Its minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail reportedly said that the remaining 60 per cent of passport holders do not have plans to travel in the near future.

“The increase in applications has quadrupled since the movement control order (MCO),” he was quoted telling a town hall event held by Malay daily Sinar Harian yesterday.

“Applications can be made online and when the passport is issued, the data shows that 40 per cent use them for travel, the other 60 per cent are keeping it.”

Saifuddin previously said that the reopening of national borders on April 1 last year saw a 25 per cent increase in the issuance of passports, meaning 2.58 million passports were issued compared to 2.01 million in 2019.

He also said of that number, 45 per cent applied for passports online which only took three minutes, following which applicants could collect their passports after two to three days.

In January, Saifuddin announced that a total of 20 selected Passport Issuing Offices nationwide, apart from the Urban Transformation Centres (UTC), would operate seven days a week starting Friday in an effort to overcome congestion at Immigration counters.

The selected passport offices are Menara Ikhlas in Putrajaya, Jalan Duta and Wangsa Maju in Kuala Lumpur; Shah Alam, Kelana Jaya, Kajang, Puchong, Port Klang, Kuala Selangor and Kuala Kubu Baru in Selangor; Setia Tropika, Kulai, Muar, Kluang and Batu Pahat in Johor; Melaka; Taiping and Teluk Intan in Perak; Seberang Jaya in Penang, and Kulim in Kedah.

Saifuddin said in addition, passport printing machines will also be added in offices with high visitor rates.

He said the Kuala Lumpur Airport (KLIA) passport office will also operate as a Passport Issuing Office for urgent and emergency cases other than normal applications.

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