Two airlines, one passport problem: Immigration explains the 10-year validity issue

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 13 — Two airlines are currently grappling with system issues when processing Malaysian passports with a validity exceeding 10 years, according to Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban. The problem is not due to foreign countries refusing to recognize Malaysian passports, but rather stems from the airlines' systems.

Zakaria stated that only these two airlines have reported the issue, though others may also be experiencing problems without the department being aware. He emphasized that the department is not blaming the airlines, as the systems are used globally, while other airlines have no issues processing Malaysian passports with validity periods over 10 years.

The 10-year validity period for Malaysian International Passports remains unchanged and has not been discontinued. The issue only affects the additional validity period that was temporarily suspended, which exceeded 10 years. Zakaria explained that in the past, applicants with over six months left on their old passports were given an extra six months of validity to avoid disadvantages.

However, the suspension now applies to the extra validity period exceeding 10 years. The Immigration Department is also offering free replacements for passports already issued with a validity of 10 years and six months. As of now, the department has suspended the validity period of Malaysian International Passports exceeding 10 years until the issue is resolved with the airlines and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).