Who is responsible for the 26,000 faulty passports issued?

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Responsibility for the Issuance of 26,000 Passports with Extended Validity Remains Unclear

The specific individuals or departments within the Malaysian Immigration Department and the Ministry of Home Affairs responsible for the policy that led to the issuance of approximately 26,000 passports with validity exceeding 10 years remains undetermined. While the Immigration Department has since ceased this practice and offered free replacements to affected holders, an independent audit has been called for to identify who proposed, tested, and approved this policy.
Policy Deviation and Subsequent Halt

The Malaysian Immigration Department implemented a policy of adding unused validity from old passports to new 10-year passport issuances, resulting in approximately 38,000 passports being issued with a validity period extending beyond the stated decade. Of these, 26,000 passports had validity extending beyond 10 years. This practice was subsequently stopped by the Immigration Department after several passport holders encountered check-in difficulties with certain airlines abroad.
Lack of Pre-emptive Testing and International Standards

The Immigration Department has acknowledged that some airline systems are configured to accept passport validity only up to 10 years, a factor that apparently was not fully accounted for before the policy's implementation. While the Director-General of the Immigration Department stated that passports exceeding 10 years do not contravene International Civil Aviation Organisation standards, the practical challenges faced by travellers highlight a disconnect between technical compliance and operational usability.
International Comparisons and Policy Adjustments

Comparisons with other countries reveal differing approaches to passport validity. Singapore, for instance, caps adult passports at 10 years, carrying forward unused validity only for its five-year passport offerings. Australia, meanwhile, does not transfer unused validity into renewed passports. The European Union also mandates that non-EU travellers must possess passports issued within the preceding 10 years for entry.
Call for Accountability and Audit

The situation has prompted calls for an independent audit to ascertain the individuals responsible for proposing, testing, and approving the policy. The objective is to ensure accountability for the planning and execution failures that led to the issuance of these passports and the subsequent inconvenience and potential financial implications for affected citizens and the country.

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Who is responsible for the 26,000 faulty passports issued?

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