PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has given its assurance that there are enough passports to meet the demands of applicants.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Sakib Kusmi denied a news report claiming that they are facing a serious shortage of new passports nationwide, with the several states supposedly being the hardest hit.
“Since May 9, the department began issuing the new Polycarbonated Biodata Page with chip, and the implementation of the new version of the passport requires the offices to be closed.
“The closure of the passport offices was never due to a shortage of passports, but due to equipment installation and training sessions to handle the machines to ensure a smooth flow of passport issuance.
“To date, there 54 offices all over Malaysia using the new system except Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Sabah, which are scheduled for deployment by next week.
“We have sufficient supply of passports and all the applications have been successful,” he said in a statement.
He said the critical shortage in Penang, Perak and Johor was untrue, as all three states produced an adequate number last month.
In May, a total of 220,000 new passports were supplied and 206,716 were issued to the public, he added.
A local English daily had reported that following the sabotage of the Malaysian Immigration System (myIMMs), the department was hit with another blow with a shortage of new passports nationwide especially in Penang, Perak and Johor.
The report, which quoted sources, claimed the department was struggling meet the demand because of lack of supply.
It said the chips used in the data page of passports had been rejected by the National Printing Department (NPD) or Immigration Department due to damage or failure to meet standards.