Malaysia will maintain its position as having the world’s most powerful passport, says Saifuddin

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) continuously enhances the security features of the Malaysian International Passport (PMA) to maintain its ranking among the most powerful passports in the world.

According to Kosmo Online, Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that the PMA is currently ranked 11th among the world’s most powerful passports in the 2024 Global Passport Power Rank released by passportindex.org.

“The ability to issue passports within 60 minutes has already elevated the country to the 11th most powerful position globally,” he said.

“In fact, this speed alone has set the country apart on an international level.

“To maintain and further improve this position, we will announce several enhancements, including the introduction of a 10-year validity period for passports,” he added.

Saifuddin made these remarks during a press conference following the Immigration Day 2024 Parade held today.

He explained that, besides the security features of the PMA, the ranking is also determined by the number of countries that grant visa exemptions to PMA holders.

Furthermore, he mentioned that the ministry plans to upgrade the existing passport issuance machines to increase production capacity.

“Currently, the passport printing machines at the Immigration Department’s offices can produce around 400 to 450 passports per day. We will assess the capability of these machines to make them faster,” he said.

Saifuddin noted that last year, the Immigration Department issued 3.06 million PMA passports.

“As of July 15 this year, 1.45 million PMA passports have been issued.

“In addition, the movement of Malaysian citizens (including permanent residents) in and out of the country last year was 139.8 million, and so far this year, it has reached 65.5 million,” he concluded.