JAKARTA - University of Muhammadiyah Bengkulu academic, Surya Vandiantara, criticized the plan to change the design of the new Indonesian passport by the Director General of Immigration under the pretext of strengthening security. This reason is actually a question whether the Indonesian passports that have been circulating so far are not safe.
Moreover, there are new features in Indonesian passports that include UV ink and intaglio ink, paper, safety bands, water signatures, hologram technology, and electronic chips. Where this feature is capable of loading biometric data.
"Is there such a thing in the passport that previously did not exist? If what is the urgency, because the public needs to know the security of their passports so far. So what is the urgency now that passport design changes are being carried out?" Surya told reporters, Tuesday, May 28.
Surya assessed that there would be new problems if this policy was properly implemented. First, the issue of the passport forgery crisis so that it requires a new design that can improve the security system. Second, the feature in the new design of Indonesian passports which has not yet become the main need in Indonesia.
"Because, to this day we still have not received any information either in media reports or in the official release of the Director General of Immigration regarding the rampant cases of passport forgery," explained Surya.
According to Surya, the Director General of Immigration should conduct an in-depth study regarding the current passport security conditions before establishing a new passport design policy. And convey comprehensive information regarding the number of passport forgery cases that occurred in Indonesia.
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"However, in reality, both security level studies and information on the number of passport forgery cases, the Indonesian people still cannot get them. Without comprehensive study and information, it seems that the reason for changing passport designs to improve the security system is just nonsense," he explained.
In addition, added Surya, color selection in the new design of passports must also be taken more seriously by the Director General of Immigration. Do not let, he said, the selection of passport color does not image the Indonesian ideology.
"Do not let the color of the passport of the Republic of Indonesia actually have similarities with the color of the passports of countries with ideologies that are contrary to the ideology of the Nation," Surya reminded.
Then also the timing of the launch of the new design passport. According to Surya, the launch at the end of the old administration also raised various suspicions, especially ahead of the inauguration of the new government.
"The question that then arises is why does the director-general of immigration not wait for the new government to be inaugurated? So that every policy can be further analyzed by the upcoming new government," he concluded.
It is known, the Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights revealed plans to replace Indonesian design and passport color. The new design of the passport is planned to be introduced to coincide with the 79th Indonesian Independence Day on August 17, 2024.
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