TO accommodate a rise in travellers arriving to Malaysia, 40 autogates will to be installed next month at the major entry points, including KLIA Terminals 1 and 2.

Immigration Department director-general Ruslin Jusoh said the two airports have 10 autogates each at their departure and arrival halls.

“Post-Covid-19, there has been a notable increase in the number of people entering and exiting the country. This year alone, Immigration has recorded 34.5 million travellers, including 12.4 million foreigners travelling in and out of the country,” he said.

“Initially, the autogates were only meant for Malaysians. However, to prevent congestion at immigration checkpoints, it was extended to foreigners from 10 countries in February last year. This was subsequently expanded to visitors from 53 countries from June 1,” he told The Star.

Ruslin said the autogates had significantly reduced waiting times at the airport Immigration checkpoints.

“Processing now takes only 10 to 15 seconds compared to the previous 30 minutes at manual counters. This system has effectively alleviated congestion at Terminal 1’s arrival hall, ensuring 85% of arrivals are processed within 25 minutes, while departures are managed within 20 minutes on average,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ruslin said QR code scanning will be fully implemented for motorcyclists at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in Gelang Patah and for bus passengers at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) in Johor Baru by September.

He reported positive feedback during the proof-of-concept phase, citing significant reductions in processing times during peak hours.

“BSI is one of the busiest entry points in the world with an average of 400,000 inbound and outbound movements recorded daily. As of July 18, a total of 197,901 passengers have used the QR code at BSI, while at 311,130 motorcyclists have used the facility at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex.”