Malaysia’s expatriate identification card, rebranded as the I-Pass, will be reintroduced in late September 2011, although the government has yet to release an exact date. All working expatriates are eligible for this new pass which will, unlike the old ID, contain a microchip with the holder’s details. The I-Pass will serve as an identification document in lieu of the passport within Peninsular Malaysia, within Sabah or within Sarawak, although passports will still be the official travel document for entry and exit out of Malaysia. Once these new cards become available, eligible expats will need to personally go to the Immigration Department in Putrajaya and have photographs and fingerprints taken. The I-Pass is not yet available to the descendants of working expats. The Expat Group will be watching this development with keen interest, and will be sure to keep readers informed. Watch this space for further information.

This article was written for The Expat in 2011
This article has been edited for ExpatGomalaysia.com