SEPANG: Autogate system facilities at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for foreigners will only be operable during peak hours.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said during low traffic periods such as late night when there are fewer flights, international travelers will be required to undergo manual clearance at Immigration counters.
"Yesterday, there were 147 flight arrivals. From that, 67 flights arrived during the peak hours between 3pm and 11pm.
"At this moment, we will open all the gates so that it will be beneficial for the travelers and the (immigration) personnel can guide them through.
"The bottom line is that all existing Immigration counters must be manned," he said during the launching of the new autogate clearance system for foreigners here today.
The system was previously limited to Malaysians. From today, it will be open to foreigners from low-risk and G7 countries.
The 10 countries are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, and Saudi Arabia.
The expansion of the system is expected to benefit 855,000 travelers entering the country.
The New Straits Times' observation today showed that it took each passenger less than 20 seconds to be cleared through the autogate.
Travelers would have their passports scanned, followed by a facial recognition system clearance before the gate opens.
If the facial recognition process fails, travelers would be required to place their thumbs on a scanner for verification before being allowed through.
New Straits Times recently reported that foreign travellers entering Malaysia had complained about the long delays for immigration clearance at KLIA, with some claiming that they had to wait up to three hours.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud had explained that it was due to a high volume of arrivals
He said there were flight arrivals at intervals of between five and 10 minutes, with 14,515 passengers arriving and 17,872 flying out.
The school holiday season, he said, also led to an increase in the number of passengers, as well as Malaysians performing the umrah.