Malaysian immigration passes and visas have gotten security upgrades and are now almost impossible to forge.

Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the documents now contained bicoloured Intaglio printing as its main security feature, apart from a multi-coloured background and serial numbers, reports nst.com.my.

Immigration director-general, Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali, said the documents, which will be rolled out fully in December, have been improved with holograms as well other additional features.

He said the use of Intaglio dual-colour prints as its main security feature ensures that it cannot be easily duplicated, thus reducing incidences of document forgery.

‘It also features a new background design complete with rainbow-printed serial numbers.

‘This forms part of the department’s bid to tighten the country’s security and sovereignty, especially when it comes to documents issued to foreigners entering Malaysia,’ he told a press conference on Tuesday.

He said while there is no 100 per cent guarantee that the documents cannot be forged, Mustafar expressed confidence that forgers would not have it easy.

He said the new passes and visas will be used from November or December onwards as there are still around 70,000 units of the current visas and passes in stock.

‘The previous version of the visas and passes are still valid. This year alone, we have issued almost 30,000 of these documents,’ he said.

Mustafar also cautioned the public to not trust anyone who claims they have the authority to issue documents from the Immigration Department.

‘Don’t blame the department if you receive documents from a third party. We will not compromise on those who either receive or give out these documents,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Mustafar said the department has launched Narrowcasting Media, a platform to disseminate information on the department’s updates and services to the public.

He said the first phase saw the installation of 400 television units at immigration premises and airports. Phase two will see an additional 420 units installed in Urban Transformation Centres (UTC) and other areas.