Compulsory to report loss passport at nearest police station

Effective Sunday, the Home Ministry (KDN) makes it compulsory for the loss of all International Malaysian Passports (PMA) within or outside the country to be reported at the nearest police station.

KDN secretary-general Datuk Alwi Ibrahim said the loss of PMA could occur due to deliberate negligence or calamities that could not be avoided such as theft, robbery, flood or fire.

He said those who lost PMA and wished to make new ones must present the police report to the Immigration Department.

"For lost cases due to floods, the police report must be submitted together with a report from the local authority while for PMA that were lost due to fire needed to be attached with a report from the Fire and Rescue Department.

"PMA is a document issued under the Passport Act 1966, whereby the act controls the issuance, possession and other matters related with travel documents, he said in a statement in the capital, Saturday night.

Alwi said PMA has a high value at the global level as PMA holders enjoyed the liberty to enter 163 out of 219 countries without visa.

According to the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index report, he said Malaysia was in ninth position last year in its citizens' freedom to enter other countries.

"The compulsory duty to report the loss of PMA at the nearest police station is aimed at protecting personal information and preventing such documents from being misused by irresponsible international syndicate," he said.

Based on the department's report, 18,037 cases of lost PMA were detected in 2012, 19,579 cases in 2013 and 16,789 cases last year.