Immigration Department Building

The **Immigration Department Building** is a colonial, two-storey building at Beach Street within George Town's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Initially built in 1890 to house the police force as part of the adjacent State Assembly Building, it now houses the Penang Island branch of the Malaysian Immigration Department.

## History

Built in 1890 at the cost of $18,750 (Straits dollar), the building, which was a block of the adjacent State Assembly Building, housed the administrative offices of the Straits Settlements Police Force. At the time, the State Assembly Building served as the Central Police Station. Therefore, the area around the then Central Police Station, including the Immigration Department Building, formed the law enforcement precint of George Town.

The building has a coach gate (*porte-coch*è*re*) that faces north. The walls of its ground floor carry artificial rustification with keystoning at the arches, while the top of the building features moulded cornice underlining a blustered parapet.

It now houses the Penang Island office of the Malaysian Immigration Department, serving Penangites wishing to apply for or renew their Malaysian passports.

## Opening Hours

Monday - Friday : 0730 hours - 1730 hours (closed on Friday afternoon between 1215 hours - 1445 hours)

Saturday and Sunday : 0800 hours - 1300 hours

## Malaysian Passport Application

\**All prices are quoted in Malaysian Ringgit (RM).*

Every Penangite with Malaysian citizenship is eligible for a Malaysian passport. For a processing fee of RM200, one can get a five-year Malaysian passport within two hours after a payment is made.

Senior citizens, children below the age of 12 and students below the age of 21 who are studying abroad only need to pay RM100 for passport application, while the disabled are exempted from any processing fee. A student who falls under the latter category need to produce an offer letter from his/her foreign institution, a receipt of registration payment and his/her matriculation card, while the disabled must have the Disabled Card issued by the Malaysian Social Welfare Department.

The required documents for passport application are the Malaysian identity card (original and A4 photocopy) and the birth certificate (original and A4 photocopy). Applicants will also be required to fill in Form A - IM.42 - Pin 1/1997.

 Political Representation

### Penang State Government

N.26 Padang Kota State Assemblyman : Chow Kon Yeow (Democratic Action Party)

### Malaysian Federal Parliament

P.049 Tanjong Member of Parliament : Ng Wei Aik (Democratic Action Party)

## References

1. Hockton, K., Howard Tan, 2012. *Penang : An Inside Guide to Its Historic Homes, Buildings, Monuments and Parks.* MPH Group, Kuala Lumpur.
2. Langdon, M. *A Guide to George Town's Historic Commercial and Civic Precints*. Penang : George Town World Heritage Incorporated.
3. http://www.penang-traveltips.com/immigration-department.htm
4. http://www.penang-traveltips.com/state-assembly-building.htm
5. http://www.imi.gov.my/index.php/en/information/operation-hour
6. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2015/01/15/passport-fees-reduced/
7. http://www.imi.gov.my/index.php/en/main-services/pasport/malaysian-international-passport