THE Home Ministry is developing the Sabah Temporary Pass, a card with biometrics security features to replace paper documents that foreign migrants in the state now carry.

Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today said the new pass will be implemented from June 1, 2020 by the Sabah Immigration Department. 

It will replace identification papers issued to foreign migrants such as the IMM13, another identification document known locally as “surat burung-burung” and the census card issued by the previous Sabah and federal governments, he said. 

“To date, there are more than 600,000 foreign migrants holding these three papers in Sabah. We are looking into plans to implement the Sabah Temporary Pass.

“Looking at the numbers of these paper holders, it might be years before we can complete issuing the new pass (to everyone),” he told reporters after chairing Central Committee on the Management of Immigrants Meeting in Kota Kinabalu today.

Also present was Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal, who co-chaired the committee. 

The new pass will have biometric features using the holder’s photo and thumbprint.

Muhyiddin said the new pass will have a three-year validity and all be renewable for a RM120 fee.

Before the pass can be rolled out, the ministry has to look into the records of current document holders to ensure they have no criminal or terrorist records.

“If they do, we will not renew their application,” Muhyiddin said. 

He also said a special body at the state level will be formed to handle implementation of the new pass, as there were various issues complicating its issuance to migrants in Sabah.

These include the status of stateless persons and children of migrants. – AFP, September 6, 2019.