The Malaysian passport is widely known to be a very desirable travel document as we are allowed to travel to 156 countries without a visa or to get a visa-on-arrival. However, it seems that Malaysians are getting more and more careless with this important document.
Source: The Rakyat Post
Previously, the Immigration Department has already proposed that they are planning on imposing a fine for lost passports, similar to when you lose your IC. However, after that, there were no news about the amount of fines that will be charged for a lost passport, but this is set to change as the plan is already in motion.
A whopping 72% of people who lost their passports this year listed “cannot remember” when asked where did they place their passports, according to The Star.
Due to this reasoning, the Immigration Department decided to go ahead with the fine for passport loss.
Source: the Star
He said, “Passport holders need to be more responsible and careful. “The Malaysian passport is not cheap to make, and is of high quality. Fining those who lose their passports will make them more responsible.”
Thus, the proposed penalty for lost passports will start at RM200 for the first offence, RM500 for the second offence and RM1,000 for the third offence. Keep your passports safely, because that is a lot of money!
Source: Mike Yip
This doesn’t include the cost it will take to get a new passport, of course. Don’t worry thought if you lost your passport under unforeseen circumstances such as thefts or disasters because the Immigration Department will take these factors into consideration as well. They will also investigate to ensure that these claims are genuine. So don’t play play!
In addition, the department is considering on placing a ban on passport holders who misplace their passports once too often. The penalty is expected to be imposed very soon.
Make sure to keep your passport safe, people, otherwise you could be looking at paying a hefty fine!
Also read: Malaysians Promised Working Holiday With RM15k Salary, Got Passport Stolen And Sold Off
