JOHOR BARU: The online system for application and renewal of passports, which is expected to resume on Thursday, will ease the congestion at Immigration offices with processing time likely to be reduced to less than an hour. It would be launched in phases starting with Johor, Sarawak, Penang, Pahang, Putrajaya and the Pudu Sentral Urban Transformation Centre, Immigration Depart­ment director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said. “The new system will speed up the processing time for passport renewal to less than an hour as personal details, photos and payment are all done online. “Currently, it takes about an hour, from the time payment is made, to complete the renewal process. “With the online system, the applicants will only need to go to the counter to collect their passports after the process is completed,” Mustafar said after visiting the Johor Immigration Department office yesterday. He said that applicants would have to be present and produce their payment receipts to collect the passports from the Immigration counter. “If all goes smoothly in the first phase starting Thursday, we will extend the system to other states the following month,” he added. He said the department issued about two million passports for renewal and new applications yearly. “For the first half of this year, we have issued 1.466 million passports nationwide, reflecting the high demand for it. “We will continue to offer the best services for the convenience of the people so that they do not have to go through long queues and wait too long to renew their passports,” he added. Mustafar also said that the Malaysian passport processing system was among the best, unlike the average two weeks needed to process a passport in other countries. “Despite that, people still want it done faster. We are doing our best to offer fast and efficient service without compromising on national security,” he said. “We do not want our passports to fall into the wrong hands.”

Source: The Star Online