Teen First To Obtain Malaysian Passport At New Immigration Office In Melbourne
By Neville D'Cruz
MELBOURNE, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Andrew Choong, a student at Glen Waverley Secondary School here became the first in Australia to receive a Malaysian passport using the polycarbonate technology when an immigration office was opened on Monday.
The 17-year-old could not believe the speed at which he was able to obtain his new passport.
"It took just about 10 minutes to get my passport today, whereas about three years ago, it took my dad (SP Setia chief executive in Melbourne, Choong Kai Wai) seven hours to drive from Melbourne to Canberra to renew our passports.
"It's amazing how fast it can be done in Melbourne now," he noted.
In presenting Choong his newly-minted passport, Datuk Aloyah Mamat, Malaysia's deputy director-general of immigration said the new technology would make it impossible for passports to be falsified.
Aloyah, who had earlier officiated 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 provides effective and efficient services to Malaysians overseas," she said, adding that the new facilities here would enable the people to obtain passport and visa documents on 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, based on Australian Government data, there were 137,690 Malaysians living in Australia, as of June 2011.
"This was 29 per cent more than in 2006, with growth projections of about six per cent each year, making Malaysians the ninth largest migrant community in Australia.
"The number of Malaysian students in Australia has increased from 14,000 in 2011 to an estimated 21,000 this year," he said.
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.
-- BERNAMA
MELBOURNE, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Andrew Choong, a student at Glen Waverley Secondary School here became the first in Australia to receive a Malaysian passport using the polycarbonate technology when an immigration office was opened on Monday.
The 17-year-old could not believe the speed at which he was able to obtain his new passport.
"It took just about 10 minutes to get my passport today, whereas about three years ago, it took my dad (SP Setia chief executive in Melbourne, Choong Kai Wai) seven hours to drive from Melbourne to Canberra to renew our passports.
"It's amazing how fast it can be done in Melbourne now," he noted.
In presenting Choong his newly-minted passport, Datuk Aloyah Mamat, Malaysia's deputy director-general of immigration said the new technology would make it impossible for passports to be falsified.
Aloyah, who had earlier officiated 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 provides effective and efficient services to Malaysians overseas," she said, adding that the new facilities here would enable the people to obtain passport and visa documents on 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, based on Australian Government data, there were 137,690 Malaysians living in Australia, as of June 2011.
"This was 29 per cent more than in 2006, with growth projections of about six per cent each year, making Malaysians the ninth largest migrant community in Australia.
"The number of Malaysian students in Australia has increased from 14,000 in 2011 to an estimated 21,000 this year," he said.
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.
-- BERNAMA