12/01/2026
Transparency in Malaysiaโs upcoming passport refresh is just as vital as security
From a consumer standpoint, Malaysian Digital Economy Consumers Association honorary secretary Muhammad Shaโani Abdullah welcomed the passport refresh but highlighted the importance of data privacy, accessibility, and affordability.
by Allison Lai
The Star
PETALING JAYA โ The government needs to ensure open ยญprocurement, independent oversight and robust governance to protect public funds and ยญstrengthen public trust as Malaysiaโs upcoming passport refresh involves hundreds of millions of ringgit in technology contracts.
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Raymon Ram said nationwide upgrades often rely on large-scale technology and procurement arrangements.
โContracts should be awarded through merit-based, competitive bidding, with key details such as contractor identity, contract value and selection rationale disclosed wherever possible.
โIndependent oversight and clear evaluation criteria help prevent misuse, reinforce accountability and reassure citizens that public funds and sensitive systems are managed properly,โ he said when contacted.
He noted that transparency is equally important for public ยญconfidence in the upgraded documents themselves.
โEven the most advanced security features will fail to inspire confidence if the process surrounding them is opaque.
โBy sharing timelines, ยญdecision-making criteria and progress, the government invites constructive scrutiny that reinforces both security and accountability,โ he said.
โTransparency is not a luxury, it ensures the upgrade genuinely serves the public interest.โ
From a consumer standpoint, Malaysian Digital Economy Consumers Association (ยญmyDigitalConsumers) honorary secretary Muhammad Shaโani Abdullah welcomed the passport refresh but highlighted the importance of data privacy, accessibility and affordability.
โSecurity features alone are not the risk; how personal data is ยญcollected, stored, accessed and governed is what matters.
โPublic trust will depend not only on stronger physical or ยญdigital security features, but also on governance, accountability and legal protections that place consumersโ rights and privacy at the centre,โ he said.
Shaโani noted that public ยญagencies handling biometric and identity information are ยญcurrently excluded from the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), leaving consumers vulnerable.
He called for amendments to bring all entities, including ยญgovernment bodies, under robust data protection obligations aligned with international standards such as the European Unionโs General Data Protection Regulation.
Both TI-M and myDigitalConsumers stressed that trust in the upgraded passport and MyKad relied on more than security alone.
They said that effective oversight, clear communication, fair procurement and legal safeguards are equally critical to ensure the rollout strengthens Malaysiaโs international standing without compromising citizen rights.
Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerceโs Melaka branch chairman Datuk Lee Chong Leng, who travels overseas frequently for work, said Malaysiaโs passport is highly recognised worldwide and the upgrades make sense to maintain security.
โMalaysiaโs passport allows travellers like me visa-free access to many countries and smoother customs clearance.
โComing home, fast lanes and QR code scanning make things even easier, and our MyKad can now be used for targeted ยญsubsidies like Budi95,โ he said.
Lee said many people are not aware that our passport is one of the most secure in the world.
โThe upgrade is only logical to keep up this standard.
โI understand that cyber fraud is also becoming more sophisticated, so the government needs to enhance security,โ he said.
Considering it a high-cost ยญproject using taxpayersโ money, Lee said the contract must be awarded with integrity and transparency.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said yesterday that newly designed passports and MyKad with enhanced security features would be introduced within the next six months as part of a scheduled renewal cycle.
Last year, the Malaysian passport ranked among the worldโs most powerful, offering visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 174 countries.
The Passport Index placed Malaysia third globally, alongside several European nations and South Korea, reflecting strong diplomatic ties and the reliability of its travel document.
The Star had previously ยญreported calls for Malaysia to consider extending passport validity to 10 years, in line with practices in several other ยญcountries, to reduce renewal frequency and ease the burden on travellers.
The Immigration Department has said the matter is under study, taking into account security, cost and operational considerations.
From a consumer standpoint, Malaysian Digital Economy Consumers Association honorary secretary Muhammad Shaโani Abdullah welcomed the passport refresh but highlighted the importance of data privacy, accessibility, and affordability.
