The Immigration Department has with immediate effect stopped issuing Malaysian International Passports (PMA) with validity periods exceeding 10 years, following confusion faced by some Malaysians when travelling overseas.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the decision was made after several PMA holders encountered difficulties while travelling abroad, particularly during check-in procedures with certain airlines.
He said the department had previously referred the matter to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which indicated that there was no restriction on Malaysia issuing passports with validity periods exceeding 10 years.
However, confusion arose after several Malaysian travellers holding such passports experienced problems when checking in with airlines overseas.
“To address this confusion, the Immigration Department has decided that the maximum validity period for a PMA will be 10 years,” Zakaria said in a statement today.
He explained that the move was aimed at standardising passport validity periods and preventing further uncertainty over the additional six-month validity requirement, which is interpreted differently by some airlines.
As a result, the issuance of PMAs with validity periods exceeding 10 years has been suspended until the matter is resolved with airlines and ICAO.
For Malaysians who already hold passports with validity periods of more than 10 years, Zakaria said they would be allowed to replace their passports free of charge, with the new documents carrying a maximum validity of 10 years.
Affected passport holders will also be given priority when applying for replacement passports, he added.
The Immigration Department will also issue notification letters to all airlines to help Malaysian travellers affected by the issue while overseas.
The department said it remains committed to improving the PMA system to make international travel more convenient and ensure smoother and more orderly travel arrangements for Malaysians.
