Sharing a light moment: Ruslin (left) talking to members of the public and department personnel during the meet-the-customers-day at the Immigration headquarters. — KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star
PUTRAJAYA: An additional 40 autogates are set to be installed next month at major entry points, including KLIA Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, to handle the influx of travellers.
Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said that currently, both airports have 10 autogates each at the 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, the department has recorded 34.5 million travellers, including 12.4 million foreigners travelling in and out of the country.
“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 53 countries from June 1,” he said during a recent interview.
Ruslin emphasised that the implementation of autogates had significantly reduced waiting times at the airports’ 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.
Regarding future plans, Ruslin confirmed the government’s intention to procure 40 additional autogates, including for both airports.
“We are now at the procurement phase, aiming for installation by next month,” he said.
Ruslin revealed that Immigration officers at entry points would receive ongoing training to handle the surge of foreign visitors and reminded them to adhere to the established standard procedures.
Given Malaysia is hosting the Asean Summit next year and Visit Malaysia Year in 2026, Ruslin said installing more autogates is a timely move.
On another matter, Ruslin said QR code usage will be fully implemented for motorcyclists at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Gelang Patah and 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 KSAB, 311,130 motorcyclists have used the facility.
“At BSI, during the peak hours between 6am and 8am, bus passengers usually took up to two hours to disembark, go through Immigration checks and board the bus again.
“That has been reduced to 15 to 30 minutes due to the use of QR code as well as the autogate system. It is similar for motorists at KSAB,” he said.
Ruslin assured the public that security would not be compromised with the use of QR code.
“Those listed on any suspect list or watch list will not be allowed to use the application and instead will be directed to the manual counter. We want to ensure smooth travels but security will never be compromised,” he said.
Following the proof of concept’s conclusion on Aug 31, Ruslin detailed plans for Home Ministry-level procurement, aiming for full deployment by September.
“Initially, the QR code will cater to local bus passengers at BSI and motorcyclists at KSAB,” he said.
“We aim to expand it to local car drivers and passengers next but it will take some time as the department needs to install the necessary facilities at car lanes.
“Our long-term aim is to expand the use of QR code to all travellers, including foreigners and those who hold long-term passes,” he said.
