COMMENT | A Malaysian passport may carry an intrinsic value for visa-free access to 179 countries. But for Malaysians in Australia planning to return home as travel restrictions ease up, renewing their passport is painfully frustrating.

A post on the Malaysian High Commission (Canberra) Facebook encapsulates this gastritis-fuelled angst: “I’m trying to get back to Malaysia to visit my dying father ... my passport is expired … I have tried calling the embassy multiple times with no luck.”

Thousands of Malaysian permanent residents with passports expiring this year were relieved – momentarily – that they could apply for a two-year extension at no cost.

A lengthy email from the immigration section of the Malaysian High Commission (Canberra) says this: “The policy was issued in June 2021, so (it's) only applicable to passports expiring from June to December.

“Passports with (two-year) extension are unable to be used for travelling overseas and also unable to be used for ...