Immigration explains passport policies

The Star

I REFER to ‘Riled by inconsistent policies at Immigration’ (The Star, Nov 20).

The IMM.42 form for passport application is gazetted as a two-page form printed on one piece of A4 paper (to be printed on both sides). This is for security purposes in line with the procedures in MS ISO 2000.

This is clearly stated in the immigration website, www.imi.gov. Unfortunately, “Unhappy” printed it on two pieces of A4 paper, and it was thus rejected by our officer.

All Immigration passport issuance offices display the passport photo guidelines on their bulletin board or in public areas.

To ensure smooth processing of a passport within two hours, the machines need to have good quality and precise photos. The specifications are in keeping with international standards.

The Immigration Department also works closely with the Malaysia Photo Association, and through it we have made known the guidelines to photo shop owners.

The photo shop business owners should already be aware of this matter. They also have a responsibility to advise customers on the requirements for a passport photo.

The 50% discount on passport fees for students aged 21 and below applies only to those who further their studies at an educational institution recognised by Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA).

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused during the application process.

AZMAN AZRA BIN ABDUL RAHMAN,

Deputy Director of Immigration.