RI passport to have new design
RI passport to have new design
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government launched on Monday a new design for the Indonesian
passport, produced with advanced printing technology, in a bid to
prevent passport forgery that has been deemed to have endangered
national security.
For the same reason, the government also plans to issue
another new design of the passport next year, which will contain
the holder's fingerprints, face print and retina print on the
last page in a move to meet security standards of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The ICAO, according to the Ministry of Justice and Human
Rights, requires all countries to issue passports with the above
by 2009 at the latest.
Beginning April 1, Indonesians will be able to get the newly
designed passports at home, while those living abroad can apply
for ones by May 1. Others who hold current passports can use them
until they expire, but they are also permitted to make new ones.
The government promised not to raise the fees for new
passports, which are set at Rp 110,000 (US$11.8) for a 24-page
passport and Rp 255,000 for a 48-page one.
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin told a
news conference here on Monday that the current passport design
issued in 1997 did not meet ICAO security standards.
He said the newly designed passports would be able to help
prevent cases of forgery and reduce the possibility of citizens
having more than one passport.
"It is also our commitment to consider a passport a state
document, which must not be forged under any circumstances," he
said.
The minister said the current passports were prone to forgery.
He did not elaborate further. Nor did his office provide details
on how forgery cases had endangered national security.
However, elderly cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the spiritual
leader of Jamaah Islamiyah terror group, was once jailed for
passport forgery.
The cover of the new passport bears an embossed Indonesian
flag as well as orange color text that reads Republic of
Indonesia, and the symbol of Garuda that will be phosphoresced in
yellow under ultraviolet light.
The first and last page contains significant improvements,
including a serial number produced by laser technology.
In the data page, it features a machine-readable zone, which
is provided specially for a passport identification machine.
"It would not be easy to forge it. But should there be a
forgery case, the criminal will be subject to the 1992
Immigration Law that carries a maximum penalty of five years,"
Hamid said, adding that the passport contains more undisclosed
technology in its format for security purposes.
Iman Santoso, who heads the immigration office, explained that
the newly designed passport would be only good for one
individual.
Currently, a child can also be named in his or her parent's
passport. A wife is also allowed to be named in her spouse's
passport according to the existing regulation.
"The principle of having individual passport-holders will be
applied because the government is working on a single
identification number. If it is applied, the number of a
citizen's ID card would be the same as that of the passport,"
Iman said.