CHOONG FIRST TO GET MALAYSIAN PASSPORT AT NEW IMMIGRATION OFFICE IN MELBOURNE - Jommagazine

Datuk Aloyah Mamat, Deputy Director General of Immigration presenting a new passport to Andrew Choong, 17 at the Malaysian immigration office which was launched at the Malaysian Consulate General here on Monday. Looking on is the Consul General, Datuk Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya. – Bernama pix

Andrew Choong, a student at Glen Waverley Secondary School here was the first in Melbourne to receive a Malaysian passport using the polycarbonate technology when an immigration office was opened here on Monday.

Choong, 17, could not believe how quick he was able to get his new passport.

“It took just about 10 minutes to get my passport today. Whereas three years ago it took my dad (SP Setia chief executive in Melbourne, Choong Ka Wai) seven hours to drive from Melbourne to Canberra to renew our passports,’’ young Choong said.

“It’s amazing how fast it can be done in Melbourne now.’’

In presenting Choong his newly-minted passport, Datuk Aloyah Mamat, Deputy Director General of Immigration said the new technology would make it impossible for passports to be counterfeited .

Aloyah, who had earlier officiated at the opening of the immigration office at the Malaysian Consulate General here, said it was the 26th Malaysian immigration office worldwide.

“This proves the Malaysian Government’s effort to provide effective and efficient services to all Malaysians overseas,’’ she said.
Aloyah said the new facilities here would enable people to get passport and visa documents the same day.

The new Malaysian immigration consul here Nawal Mohamed Amin, said the move from Canberra to Melbourne had been in the planning for several months.

“I think Melbourne will be popular with Malaysians from other parts of Australia. There had been many requests for us to relocate to Melbourne,’’ she said.

The Consul General, Datuk Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya said from Australian Government data, there were 137,690 Malaysians living in Australia in June 2011.

“This was 29 percent more than in 2006, with growth projections of about six percent each year, making Malaysians the ninth largest migrant community in Australia,’’ he said.

“The number of Malaysian students in Australia has increased from 14,000 in 2011 to an estimated 21,000 in 2013.’’

According to Mohd Rameez about half a million Australians visited Malaysia last year, making it “our eighth top tourist generating market’’.

The Australians contributed about A$20.2 billion to Malaysian tourism.