Malaysian Immigration passes, visas get facelift, security upgrades
PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department yesterday unveiled the new Malaysian pass and visa designs complete with more efficient security features.
Immigration director- general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the documents, expected to come into use by December, was upgraded with the addition of an applied hologram and security features which makes it difficult to be forged.
He added that the documents now contained bicoloured Intaglio printing as its key security feature, apart from a multi- coloured background and serial numbers ensuring it cannot be easily forged, thereby reducing the risk of counterfeits which were frequently reported before.
“This is an ongoing effort by the Immigration Department to improve the security and sovereignty of the country, especially involving identification documents of foreigners entering Malaysia,” he told reporters after the launch of the new look of the document here.
The Malaysian visa is an early authorised entry approval in the passports of foreign nationals while the pass is issued to those who enter and temporarily stay within a specified period for certain purposes such as social visits, official visits and study.
Mustafar said the old visas and passes were still valid and could be used until they expire.
In the meantime, Mustafar said the department also launched the ‘ Narrowcasting Media’, the latest platform for passing on information about the department’s services to the public.
He said for a start, 400 units of screen display units were placed at the department’s branches nationwide while 450 units would be installed in stages in strategic locations from February next year.
The interactive platform was designed to provide early information to the public on the latest services and directives of the Immigration Department, thus facilitating them when dealing with immigration counters, he said. — Bernama