Malaysian Passports is very Safe: cloned is imposible
By m_azlanshah • Jan 3rd, 2009• Category: ! Product News
Malaysian Passports Safe
Malaysia was the first country in the world to issue biometric passports in March 1998, after a local company, IRIS Corporation, developed the technology. In December 2002, thumbprint data was added to the biometric data on the passport chip. Similar technology is used in the Malaysian identity card, MyKad.
The biometric data included on the Malaysian passport is a digital photograph of the bearer’s face, and images of their two thumbprints. Malaysian immigration checkpoints were the only ones with the technology to read and authenticate the data from the RFID chip using a fingerprint scanner and facial recognition technology, but widespread adoption of e-Passport technology around the world has seen the technology installed in international airports in the USA, the UK and other countries.
In addition to biometric data and the personal information stored on the information page, the chip also records the bearer’s travel history of the last ten entry and exits at Malaysia border control points.
Concern about possible “cloning” of the data from the passport chip for the purposes of identity theft prompted IRIS to issue a press release in 2006, stating that the chip and data had never been successfully cloned, and that digital keys stored on each chip made such duplication and forgery impossible.
The Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, today gave assurance that the security features in Malaysian passports are highly sophisticated and among the best in the world.
As such, he said, the people and foreign nations need not be worried about the document.
“Just because a passport can be issued in two hours does not mean that security features are neglected,” Syed Hamid said at a news conference here today.
He said to date of the 1.2 million Malaysian passports issued last year there were just 89 recorded cases of forgery.
He was commenting on a Malay newspaper report yesterday which quoted Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim as saying that issuance of Malaysian passports in less than two hours had caused a security risk that made it easy to forge the documents.
Syed Hamid said such statements could cause difficulties for Malaysians traveling abroad.
He said although the issuance system was among the best it did not mean that attempts to forge passports did not happen.
“Such criminal activities will take place but what is important is the preventive actions taken. Even passports of the United States, Canada and Australia have been forged although their passports have the best security features,” he said.
Syed Hamid said to further enhance features of the Malaysian passport efforts were being made to meet International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.
He said that will enable the passport to be read by the ‘read-all reader’ chip system.
Besides that the photographs of applicants will also be done using the ‘live capture system’ at counters to ensure the authenticity of the applicant.
Meanwhile, Syed Hamid said his ministry was still studying the minimum fine to be imposed on foreigners who overstay
“The study on the fine is to ensure that they can pay and return to their country,” he said.
– BERNAMA
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