[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: The congestion at the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore will be resolved, Malaysia’s Immigration Department says on Saturday (March 20).
Its CEO, Datuk Khairul Dzaimee Daud, said he will station eight officers in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Customs Department at the High Commission starting next week to speed up the passport documentation process there.
“Currently, we have five staff members there and eight more officers will come to help them. Steps are being taken to resolve the congestion,” he said while speaking to reporters after overseeing a check-in operation in Jalan Imbi on Saturday morning.
Khairul Dzaimee said the congestion at the High Commission was caused by a technical failure and damage to one of the passport printers there.
He also attributed the problem to a sharp increase in the number of walk-in passport applicants who did not make an appointment before coming.
READ: Close to 100,000 Malaysians working in Singapore to receive COVID-19 vaccine
READ: Malaysian Freight Drivers Will Receive Certificate After COVID-19 Vaccination In Singapore, Exempt From Daily Testing On Arrival
“We have advised (Malaysians in Singapore) to renew their passport online, but they still choose to come (walk-in). We give priority to those who want to renew their work permits as they cannot leave (Singapore ).
Online passport applications will be processed and printed within four to five weeks, ”he said.
On Friday, Khairul Dzaimee said in a statement that his department was awaiting approval from Singapore’s Foreign Ministry to allow Datasonic Berhad staff members to enter the country for repair work.
WATCH – COVID-19: One year since the closure of the Singapore-Malaysia border
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
