PETALING JAYA: More than 300,000 Malaysian passports were issued in the two months following the Government’s introduction of the RM100 two-year passport on Oct 1 last year.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman said the overwhelming response was beyond the department’s expectation.

He said because of the good response, the Government would keep the passports at that price at least for the near future.

“We are expecting the number of applications to increase this year,” he told mStar Online, The Star’s Malay news portal, yesterday.

Malaysians can apply for the 32-page passport valid for two years at RM100.

A 32-page passport valid for five years costs RM300 while a 64-page one (also valid for five years) costs RM600.

Abdul Rahman said the number of applications rose rapidly in November last year, coinciding with the school holidays.

He expected the numbers to rise again for the coming Chinese New Year holidays.

On recent statistics by the Public Complaints Bureau for the department, Abdul Rahman described them as “a good response for the department to improve its services to the people”.

“It is impossible to solve everyone’s problem because the department is serving the public,” he added.

He said, however, the department would respond to the complaints.

He said those with complaints could contact the department’s corporate communication unit.

The bureau recorded 274 cases against the department in 2009, compared with 213 in 2008.