If you need to renew your passport soon, be prepared to see something pretty different!
It was recently revealed that some major changes were made to the Malaysian passport, not only in terms of design, but also in terms of security features.
One noticeable change is that the brand new passport has batik designs in blue, red, and orange on its pages, accompanied by drawings of famous Malaysian landmarks like Mount Kinabalu and the Petronas Twin Towers.
The inside of the front cover has songket motifs, while the back has two hibiscus flowers.
Source: The Star
“The Rukunegara principles are evident in the images chosen: a mosque (belief in God); Istana Negara (loyalty to King and country); Parliament (the supremacy of the Constitution); the Federal Court (the rule of law); and the National Museum showing our heritage and culture (courtesy and morality),” Immigration Department director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali told The Star.
The director added that the redesigned passport, which was rolled out on 15th November, was apparently deemed one of the most beautiful passports in the world.
On top of its new look, here are the updated security features;
- An embedded chip in the polycarbonate personal particulars page (in older versions of the passport, the chip was embedded in the back cover)
- Verification of the passport’s authenticity cannot be done with the naked eye and is only done with ultraviolet light
- Security features have also been added to every page
This new location of the chip will make it harder to forge, while making it easier for data reading. The front and back covers also have added security features.
Source: The Star
According to the Immigration Department director, nearly 20,000 of these new passports have already been issued between 15th and 29th November. These passports are currently being issued at the Immigration Department’s Menara Ikhlas office in Putrajaya, but they plan on extending it nationwide in stages.
For those concerned whether their current passports are still valid, Datuk Seri Mustafar assures that they can still be used.
What do you think of this makeover? Let us know in the comments below!
Also read: Malaysia Has The 5th Most Powerful Passport In The World!
