KUALA LUMPUR – Visitors from 36 low-risk countries will be allowed to use the autogate facility at all entry points in Malaysia effective June 1, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Among the countries involved are those in the European Union, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, China, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
This brings the total to 46 countries which are allowed to use the autogate.
Last year, the Home Ministry extended the autogate facility to visitors from the US, UK, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Brunei and Saudi Arabia.
Saifuddin was quoted by Bernama as saying that this will ease the congestion at immigration entry points as it will only take 10 to 15 seconds for clearance at the autogate.
He added that the autogate facility will be opened to diplomatic officials stationed in Malaysia, as well as their families.
“The Home Ministry and the Immigration Department will hold discussions with Wisma Putra to get details of the diplomatic officials and their family members.
“This is timely as Malaysia will be chairing Asean meetings at the ministry level, involving senior officials next year,” he told reporters during an event at the National Registration Department in Putrajaya today.
Saifuddin said the Immigration Department recorded a total of 40 million arrivals between January 1, 2023 and April 2024.
From that number, 30.5 million came through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 and 2, CIQ at Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor Bahru, and Sultan Abu Bakar complex in Iskandar Puteri. – May 16, 2024