PUTRAJAYA, May 9 — The operating hours at six passport issuing offices and Immigration Department (JIM) counters will be extended until 10pm from this Wednesday (May 11), while the other six will open until 6pm.

Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said this was one of the measures to improve the Immigration Department, especially to address problems on the application and renewal of the International Malaysian Passport (PMA), apart from increasing the number of staff to handle the PMA process.

The six premises with extended operating hours until 10pm are the Immigration Department offices in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Negri Sembilan and Melaka, while those in Penang, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis will operate until 6pm.

All passport issuance offices in Peninsular Malaysia will also operate on Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm from May 14, he told press conference here today.

He said all Immigration counters at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in the Peninsula would open until 10pm.

According to Khairul Dzaimee, there has been an increase of about 40 per cent in the issuance of the PMA, from 165,449 during the period from April 1 to May 6 this year compared to 111,931 last March.

He said the department had also provided a special counter to facilitate the passport application for prospective Haj pilgrims who had received an offer letter to perform the pilgrimage.

"They can come to any passport issuing office by bringing the offer letter from TH (Tabung Haji),” he said.

On the Online Appointment System (STO), Khairul Dzaimee said it would be abolished at all passport issuing offices nationwide from this Wednesday.

Prior to this, it was reported that the Immigration Department would abolish the STO for all passport issuing offices outside the Klang Valley from May 9, while in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor Baru, Negri Sembilan and Melaka from May 16. — Bernama