PUTRAJAYA, Aug 13 — Only two airlines have so far been reported to be experiencing system issues when processing Malaysian passports with a validity period exceeding 10 years, Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said.
He said the issue was not related to foreign countries refusing to accept Malaysian passports, but stemmed from systems used by certain airlines.
“So far, the feedback we have received is that only two airlines are experiencing problems. But I am not sure if there are others that we have yet to receive information about,” he told a press conference here today.
He stressed that the department was not blaming the airlines as the systems were used globally, while other airlines had no problems processing Malaysian passports with validity periods exceeding 10 years.
Zakaria said the 10-year validity period for Malaysian International Passports would continue as usual and had never been discontinued.
Only the additional validity period exceeding 10 years had been temporarily suspended due to problems with the airlines’ systems.
He said an additional validity period of up to six months had previously been given to applicants who still had more than six months remaining on their old passports when applying for renewal.
“What we have suspended is the additional validity period exceeding 10 years.
“(Before this,) we took into account the remaining validity on their old passports before they were replaced. So, to avoid disadvantaging Malaysians who still had a substantial period remaining, we gave them an extra six months,” he said.
Zakaria said the Immigration Department was also offering free replacement of passports already issued with a validity period of 10 years and six months.
The department said yesterday that, with immediate effect, it had suspended the validity period of Malaysian International Passports exceeding 10 years until the issue was resolved with the airlines and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). — Bernama
