Delay in MRP Passport delivery in MalaysiaExpats remain skeptical despite adviser’s assurance

Bangladeshi expatriate workers in Malaysia who applied for Machine Readable Passports (MRP) remain sceptical about receiving them soon, despite the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser’s assurance that they would start being issued by the middle of this month.

Although Dr Asif Nazrul, the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser, announced that MRP passports would begin to be distributed from 15 December in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, officials at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur stated that, if everything goes well, they would only be able to begin issuing the passports in the second or third week of January.

“I submitted my documents to the High Commission through an intermediary on 15 July this year and was assured that I would receive my MRP passport within 21 working days. However, I am still waiting for my passport, and the validity of my work visa expires at the end of this month. I don’t know what the future holds for me, as we have received similar assurances in the past, but they didn’t result in any change,” Fariduzzaman, a Bangladeshi expatriate working in Malacca, near Kuala Lumpur, said.

He noted that this is not a new issue for Bangladeshi workers, but the government has never addressed it adequately. Fariduzzaman expressed concerns that failure to renew his visa on time could result in arrest and fines.

Zahidul Islam, another expatriate worker based in Kuala Lumpur, said, “I have seen the expatriate adviser’s video. Maybe he is working on it seriously, but I’m not sure whether he can resolve the issue alone. I applied in May, and I have been waiting for six months.”

It is worth mentioning that Dr Asif Nazrul, the expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment adviser, announced on Wednesday that the government would start providing MRP passports to expatriates who applied for them in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia from 15 December.

In a video posted on his official Facebook page, the adviser said, “We know you are facing a lot of problems with your passports. You will begin receiving MRP passports from 15 December. Those who have applied will receive their passports within three to four weeks.”

Assuring that expatriates in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia would be prioritised, Asif Nazrul said, “The first priority will be given to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. After that, the issue will be resolved within three to four weeks, with priority given to countries with high demand.”

He also mentioned that the large number of MRP passports being printed would ensure that this issue would not recur in the next two to three years.

Apologising for the delays in delivering passports, Asif Nazrul blamed the previous government for the situation.

“This problem was created during the previous fascist government. The minister in charge at that time attempted to irregularly award the passport printing contract to a company with which he had ties. The registration and tendering process took a year and a half. It took time to cancel that process and adopt a faster method,” he added.

Earlier, on 29 October, the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur issued a notification on its official Facebook page explaining the reasons for the delay in issuing MRP passports.

The notification stated that there had been a delay in the printing of passports from Bangladesh due to a shortage of machine-readable passport booklets, lamination foil paper, and mechanical defects in the printing machines.

As a result, many expatriates are now applying daily to an outsourcing company to obtain a new e-passport, but are not receiving their passports on time.

To date, over 46,000 expatriates in Malaysia have applied for MRP passport renewals. Of these, 28,000 workers’ passports are waiting to be printed, while more than 14,000 remain in process.

When asked about the issue, Sufi Abdullahil Maruf, First Secretary (Press) at the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, said, “Issuance of MRP passports was suspended for several reasons. However, fresh initiatives have now been taken, and we hope to begin distributing them within this week.”

“Additionally, the e-passport is operational, and we are issuing e-passports to those who have applied online. Apart from Kuala Lumpur, our consulate team visits other states every Saturday and Sunday to assist workers in filling out their passport applications,” he added.

Approximately 1.5 million Bangladeshi expatriates are working in Malaysia, of whom 1.2 million have MRP passports.