KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians aged 18 and above can now apply for an International Malaysian Passport (PMA) with a validity period of either five years or up to 10 years according to their respective needs, starting tomorrow.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the choice of validity period provides more convenience for the people, especially those who frequently travel abroad for work, business, studies or to be with family.
He said the fee for a passport with a validity period of 10 years was set at RM350, thus offering a saving of RM50 compared to the cost of renewing a five-year passport twice within the same period.
“Hopefully this initiative will not only make things easier for the people, but will also further strengthen the position of the Malaysian passport as a travel document that is trusted and respected internationally,” he said in a post on Facebook today.
Saifuddin Nasution said the new PMA has been enhanced with 94 security features compared to only 49 in the previous version, through the use of various latest technologies such as holograms, ultraviolet (UV) printing, latent images and other protective elements to reduce the risk of forgery, modification and misuse of the country’s travel documents.
He said the new passport would be introduced in stages at 71 passport offices nationwide starting this July.
At the same time, he stressed that the public does not need to rush to change their existing passports because they are still valid until their validity period is almost over.
— BERNAMA
