The Malaysian government is set to unveil a new version of the Malaysian International Passport, which comes with significantly enhanced security features aimed at strengthening national identity document protection.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to launch the upgraded passport at the Parliament lobby on 30th June. The new travel document is part of ongoing efforts to reinforce document security and maintain Malaysia’s position as one of the countries with a powerful passport globally.
Major upgrade in security features
The new passport includes 94 security features, a major improvement compared to the current version, which has 49 security features. This enhancement is expected to make the document significantly more secure and harder to forge.
Among the upgraded security elements are:
- Holographic features
- Ultraviolet (UV) printing
- Hidden visual details
- Specialised forensic security technologies.
- Open biometric format
- Public key infrastructure (PKI)
- Ultra-high resolution imagery
- 15-minute processing pipeline
These improvements are designed to strengthen verification processes and reduce the risk of counterfeiting
Improved passport design and structure
Additional security enhancements have also been incorporated into the thread used to bind the passport booklet. Each page has been redesigned with a unique layout, further adding layers of protection against tampering and duplication.
Earlier this year, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that Malaysia would introduce redesigned passports and MyKad as part of broader efforts to improve national data security systems. Malaysia continues to upgrade its identity document systems in line with global security standards and evolving technological threats.
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