A woman’s trip from Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong was derailed after airport staff refused her boarding due to a water-damaged passport, forcing her to navigate multiple locations and spend several days and RM1,100 to obtain a new travel document.
The incident occurred in mid-December last year when the woman, traveling with her family, was stopped at the check-in counter at Kota Kinabalu Airport. Officials deemed her passport, which had previously been soaked during a flood, unfit for travel.
Despite drying the passport and there being no visible damage, she was told it did not meet boarding requirements. “When the staff said my passport was damaged and I could not board, I was completely at a loss,” she recalled. “My young daughter asked why, and I nearly broke down.”
She initially assumed she could resolve the matter the next day at the airport immigration office, but the process turned out to be far more complicated.
Lengthy Bureaucratic Process
The woman said the airport immigration office instructed her to go to the Sabah Immigration Headquarters, which in turn required her to first replace her daughter’s birth certificate. She added, “I rushed to the National Registration Department to get it done, only to be told I also needed to replace adult birth certificates, and that Sabah’s processing would take at least five days.”
Unable to wait, she booked the earliest flight to Sandakan to complete the passport replacement. She noted that procedures differed between the two locations, adding to her frustration.
For adults, the Sandakan Immigration Office required an explanation of the passport damage, copies of the MyKad, all pages of the old passport, a police report, and completed forms. For children, applicants needed a birth certificate, parents’ marriage certificate, and a police report.
Assistance Helps Expedite Process
The woman said the Sandakan immigration staff were helpful and agreed to expedite her application, allowing her to receive a new passport sooner.
“The whole process cost RM1,100, including fines and processing fees, and completely disrupted our travel plans,” she said.
She warned travelers that even minor water damage or wear to a passport can result in denied boarding. She also advised purchasing travel insurance and researching local procedures before applying for replacements.
The post sparked widespread discussion online. When asked about insurance coverage, the woman said she was still waiting to hear if her policy would reimburse the costs. Some netizens noted that similar cases are often considered “human error” and may not be covered.
