GEORGE TOWN: A Sri Lankan man who tried to get a Malaysian passport by passing himself off as a 10-year-old child, was arrested by Immigration officers.
State Immigration Department director, Nur Zulfa Ibrahim, said the man had gone to the UTC Komtar Immigration Office to apply for a Malaysian passport, presenting identification documents as a 10-year-old boy. He was accompanied by a Malaysian woman, who claimed to be his mother.
Nur Zulfa said the supervising officer realised that the man's physical appearance did not match that of a 10-year-old child. The Sri Lankan also did not understand any of the questions asked.
"An initial investigation was then conducted by the head of the office on the man and his 'mother'."
During questioning, it was found that the man did not speak Malay or Tamil, the language spoken by many Indians in Malaysia.
"The woman also admitted that she had been given some money to pass off as his mother, while the main subject admitted to being a citizen of Sri Lanka.
"As a result, both were arrested under the Passport Act 1966," she said.
Malaysia's passport was ranked 12th in the latest global passport index, allowing its holders to travel visa-free to 182, out of 227 destinations, worldwide.
Malaysian passport holders can enjoy visa-free entry to major destinations, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Qatar, France, and the United Arab Emirates.