KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 — Twenty selected Immigration passport-issuing offices will operate on Saturdays and Sundays from Jan 28, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
These offices will be open from 8am to 12.30pm to address congestion due to the increasing number of applications and renewals of the Malaysian International Passport (PMA), he said.
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.
“All these offices will continue to operate until the congestion issue is under control. This is our commitment. This initiative is sensible and innovative,” he told reporters after opening the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Passport Office here today.
Saifuddin also announced the extension of the operating hours of the Immigration offices at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) to 7pm on weekdays and 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays, except in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, which are open on Fridays and Saturdays.
Saifuddin said 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.
"For this year, up to Jan 17, the Immigration Department has issued a total of 156,711 passports," he said.
Saifuddin said the KLIA passport office could benefit 3.4 million local residents and its surrounding areas like Seremban and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan
“To date, the passport office has issued a total of 182 passports since its operation on Dec 16,” he said.
"JIM (the Immigration Department) will continue to monitor the response to this office before we plan to open a similar office at Kota Kinabalu Airport in Sabah in the future," he said.— Bernama
