PETALING JAYA, July 17 — While acknowledging there were delays in processing new passport applications, the Immigration Department denied that they were facing a passport shortage crisis.
“The delays with issuing new passports are due to the enhanced security features,” its director-general Datuk Seri Sakib Kusmi said in a statement yesterday.
“Reports of a passport shortage crisis are not true,” he said.
Sakib said some of the country’s 107 passport offices had to be closed to enable the installation of new equipment and training of personnel to familiarise them with the new system.
“There is sufficient supply of passports since the new system was implemented... the reports of critical shortages in Penang, Perak and Johor are untrue. To date, there are 54 passport offices nationwide where the new system has been installed and is operational.”
The installation of the new system at Immigration Department offices in Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Sabah are scheduled to begin next week.
Sakib elaborated that the number of passports issued by the department was dependant on school holidays and the Haj pilgrimage season, and there was never any cessation in the issuing of passports.
“We are prepared to overcome any problems should there be delays during the transition period.
“To date, we have never stopped issuing international passports and have issued passports to every applicant,” he said.
Sakib said the new passports were designed to be very secure and contained 28 security features.
“The department has high standards in place to prevent defective passports from being issued.”
