Of the 1.2 mln passports issued last year, there were just 89 cases of forgery

PUTRAJAYA: The Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar yesterday gave assurance that the security features in Malaysian passports are highly sophisticated and among the best in the world.

As such, he said, the people and foreign nations need not be worried about the document.

“Just because a passport can be issued in two hours does not mean that security features are neglected,” Syed Hamid said at a news conference here yesterday.

He said to date of the 1.2 million Malaysian passports issued last year there were just 89 recorded cases of forgery.

He was commenting on a Malay newspaper report on Thursday which quoted Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim as saying that issuance of Malaysian passports in less than two hours had caused a security risk that made it easy to forge the documents.

Syed Hamid said such statements could cause difficulties for Malaysians travelling abroad.

He said although the issuance system was among the best it did not mean that attempts to forge passports did not happen.

“Such criminal activities will take place but what is important is the preventive actions taken. Even passports of the United States, Canada and Australia have been forged although their passports have the best security features,” he said.

Syed Hamid said to further enhance features of the Malaysian passport efforts were being made to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

He said that will enable the passport to be read by the ‘read-all reader’ chip system.

Besides that the photographs of applicants will also be done using the ‘live capture system’ at counters to ensure the authenticity of the applicant.

Meanwhile, Syed Hamid said his ministry was still studying the minimum fine to be imposed on foreigners who overstay.

“The study on the fine is to ensure that they can pay and return to their country,” he said.

— Bernama