Malaysia’s passports with over 10-year validity on hold
PETALING JAYA – The issuance of Malaysian international passports (PMA) with a validity period exceeding 10 years has been halted with immediate effect following difficulties faced by some citizens traveling overseas.
Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban said existing PMA holders whose passports have a validity period of more than 10 years would be given a free replacement.
He said the move was taken after several PMA holders with validity exceeding 10 years encountered problems during check-in with certain airlines overseas.
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“Existing PMA holders with a validity period exceeding 10 years will be given free replacement passports with a maximum validity of 10 years,” he said in a statement on Aug 12.
Zakaria said that if there is a validity of more than six months on the passport, it would be forfeited if the holder opted to renew it for 10 years.
He said the Immigration Department had referred the matter to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which had confirmed that there was no restriction on implementing PMA with a validity period exceeding 10 years.
“However, confusion arose when several PMA holders exceeding 10 years faced problems during check-in with some airlines abroad,” he said.
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Zakaria said the decision to standardize the maximum validity period at 10 years was aimed at avoiding confusion over the validity requirement, which was interpreted differently by some airlines.
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“We would also issue a notification letter to all airlines to assist affected Malaysian travellers overseas,” he said.
Zakaria also said the issuance of PMA with a validity period exceeding 10 years would remain suspended until the matter is resolved with airlines and the ICAO.
“We are committed to continuously improving the implementation of PMA to facilitate travel for Malaysians in a smooth and systematic manner.” /dl