Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said passport applications and renewals had increased by 65% this time, causing congestion at immigration offices, especially in the Klang Valley.

He said the department had a supply of more than 1.2 million passports that could accommodate the sharp increase in applications and renewals.

“The supply of passports is sufficient, we have more than 1.2 million (passports) in the store and if it runs out, the supplier will add more,” he said.

Khairul said one of the factors behind the congestion at the immigration offices was due to many people being present at the same time, especially in the morning, for passport applications and renewals.

“For example, at the immigration office in Shah Alam, the office is narrow and many turn up in the morning to get their passports when they can come in the afternoon,” he said.

The operating hours at six immigration offices were extended to 10pm while those in another six were extended to 6pm from May 11 to accommodate the sudden increase.

The six premises that are operating until 10pm are the immigration offices in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, while those in Penang, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu and Perlis will operate until 6pm.

He advised the public to take the opportunity of the current school holidays to apply for and renew their passports at immigration offices outside the Klang Valley.

“We have immigration offices that manage passports issuance and they are not as busy as those in Putrajaya or Shah Alam. Offices in Perlis, Kedah, Pahang, and Terengganu are among those that are not busy with low demand for passports,” he said.

He also advised the public to ensure that they have a pressing reason such as official business to apply for or renew their passports.

“If there are no pressing reasons, then there is no need to apply for a passport yet.

“I randomly asked 10 applicants and six of them said they did not have any plan yet (to travel abroad),” he said.