KUALA LUMPUR – A study is being conducted by the Immigration Department to consider extending the validity of the Malaysian passport from five to 10 years.
Apart from research, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the department will obtain feedback from various stakeholders.
“A decision will be made after the research is completed. The priority is given to the study first,” he said when launching the passport office at the Shaftsbury Putrajaya Mall.
This comes after taking into consideration the 10-year validity on passports issued by Asean neighbours such as Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) visa depends on the validity of the holder’s home passport.
He added that if their home country decides to revoke the applicants’ passports, the MM2H visa will be rescinded.
“If the applicants’ passports are invalid, it will affect their MM2H status,” he was quoted as saying.
In addition, a passport office at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport will be in operation by June.
The Immigration Department issued 3,057,825 passports last year, a 20% increase compared to 2,574,435 in 2022. – February 19, 2024