Penang ,Malaysia 17 July- A member of the Penang State Council for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACE), Wong Hon Wai welcomed the statement issued via Facebook by the Malaysian Immigration Department, Penang which reported the visit by the Director General of Malaysian Immigration, Dato’ Ruslin bin Jusoh to the Airport Penang International Airport (LTAPP) on 16 July 2024. Dato Ruslin held a special meeting and official working visit to discuss and find a solution to the problem of passenger congestion at this airport.
In the meeting, the Director General of Immigration agreed to approve the addition of 30 immigration staff at the Penang International Airport. He also ordered that the existing 12 autogates be replaced with the latest 20 autogates capable of handling Malaysian passport checks as well as foreign passports from 63 countries.
Wong Hon Wai welcomed the announcement considering
in the past year, with the rapid recovery of Penang’s tourism sector, the number of international tourists entering Penang has increased dramatically. At the same time, Penang also receives more and more direct flights from international cities such as Xiamen, Dubai and Shanghai as well as additional flight frequencies from international cities.
According to Wong, for the period from January to May 2024, the number of international arrivals at LTAPP was 742,244 passengers, an increase of 28.19% compared to 579,011 passengers in the same period in 2023.
Wong Hon Wai said, “The immigration counter at the airport has 12 check-in counters and 12 check-out counters that each handle passport checks for foreign nationals and Malaysians who need assistance.
Malaysian citizens generally use automated and currently have no problems. However, when several international flights land simultaneously within a short period, the immigration counters face difficulties in dealing with the sudden increase in the influx of passengers. This causes congestion at the check-in counter.
The Penang Immigration Division at the Penang International Airport has limited human resources and if most of the staff are assigned to the check-in counter it will also cause a shortage of staff at the check-out counter.
To find a solution to this problem, Wong together with players in the tourism industry visited the Penang International Airport 3 times in July and held meetings with the airport management, Immigration Department, Customs and representatives of the Penang South West District police to find a solution together Wong Hon Wai has also repeatedly asked the Immigration Department to increase the number of staff to ensure all counters are fully operational.
In addition, Wong has also submitted the proposal to the Minister of Home Affairs, Dato’ Seri Saifuddin Nasution.
Wong Hon Wai stated that a solution to the problem of congestion at the Penang International Airport is very important. The addition of immigration staff and the latest automated will increase the efficiency of passenger passport checks, reduce congestion and provide a smoother and easier experience for passengers. This step will not only improve the quality of service at LTAPP but is also important in strengthening Penang’s position as a major tourist destination.”
Wong Hon Wai also thanked the Minister of Home Affairs, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution, for his attention and support to the proposed increase in staff and the provision of autogates for foreigners.
Wong Hon Wai also emphasized that the Penang State Government will continue to work closely and hand in hand with the Immigration Department and related agencies to ensure that LTAPP can handle the increase in the number of passengers to support the rapid development of the tourism industry in Penang.
