New passport rollout begins June 1, nationwide implementation in July

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By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, May 23: The Immigration Department of Malaysia will begin issuing a new Malaysian passport equipped with 94 security features in stages starting June 1, before being fully introduced nationwide in July.

According to Immigration director Datuk Zakaria Shaaban, the new passport will initially be available at four locations, namely the Immigration Headquarters in Putrajaya, the Kuala Lumpur Passport Office in Jalan Duta, the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) Wangsa Maju, and the Shah Alam Immigration Office.

“Previously, our passports had 49 security features, but the new version has nearly doubled that number to 94 security features.

“This is aimed at further enhancing security so that our passports are safer and more difficult to counterfeit,” he said at a press conference after the Immigration Department’s 2025 Excellent Service Awards Ceremony in Putrajaya, as reported by Bernama.

He said the upgraded passport includes improved holograms, ultraviolet (UV) printing, hidden visual elements, and several special forensic features that are difficult to replicate.

Nevertheless, he urged the public not to rush to replace their existing passports, explaining that passports with more than six months of validity left remain valid for travel and can be renewed upon expiry.

He said applications for the news passport can also be submitted online, which is subject to the capacity of the relevant passport offices.

At the same time, he reminded the public to use genuine photographs of themselves, not ones that have been altered using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

“We have detected several such cases, where individuals may want a more attractive photo, brighten a dark image, or enhance their appearance using AI,” he said, adding that Immigration officers have the expertise to detect AI-generated or AI-edited images.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Malaysia would introduce redesigned passports and MyKad identity cards as part of efforts to strengthen the security of national identification documents. — DayakDaily

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