JAKARTA, ULTIMOPARADISO.COM – Indonesian people can now enjoy the new design of the Republic of Indonesia passport. Something interesting, the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Immigration has embedded the colors of the Indonesian national flag, red and white, in the new design of the Republic of Indonesia passport which was announced to coincide with the commemoration of the 79th Indonesian Independence Day, Saturday (17/08/2024).
At the Launching of the New Design of the Indonesian Passport at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, Jakarta, Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna H. Laoly expressed his appreciation for the performance of the Directorate General of Immigration which is getting better and bringing many positive changes, especially the new passport design as well as being an ambassador for Indonesian culture in the international world.
“I appreciate the performance of the Director General of Immigration and his staff who have brought many positive changes, especially the passport with this new design, which is not only our identity when going abroad, but also becomes a cultural ambassador that introduces the beauty and uniqueness of Indonesia to the world,” said the Minister of Law and Human Rights.
Supporting the statement, the Director General of Immigration, Silmy Karim explained that the new design of the Indonesian passport is more than just a change in the cover color. International standards and recommendations set out in The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 9 on Facilitation Chapter 3, Subchapter C emphasize that each member country must periodically update passport security techniques and features in accordance with the latest developments. This is done to avoid attempts at forgery, replication, replacement/deletion of data and other passport forgery modus operandi. The changes and improvements to the passport design, he said, were made as a response and adaptation to changes in the strategic immigration environment which include political, legal, social, cultural and security aspects.
“This new passport design is specifically for e-passports. There are improvements in terms of the quality of raw materials, the addition of types and the number of security features. Travel documents must contain security techniques and features that are able to protect against various forgery attempts, including the replacement and removal of passport pages, especially on the biodata page,” said the Director General of Immigration.
The combination of security features embedded in the new design of the Indonesian passport includes a heat-resistant, flexible cover that can protect the chip. The passport biodata page is made of several layers of polycarbonate and is coated to protect its surface. In addition, the passport paper is also safe and sensitive to chemicals. The ink used includes visible ink and invisible ink (fluorescent ink and infrared ink) that glow under ultraviolet light. The ink technology is also applied to the sewing thread of the passport book which is made of three colors.
“In terms of appearance, the design of the passport sheet uses a typical fabric motif from each region in Indonesia, and the motif will change shape when viewed with UV light,” continued Silmy.
The launch of the new passport design is an effort from the immigration side to strengthen the Republic of Indonesia passport. The use of a combination of security features, raw materials, and other latest techniques is a major concern to ensure that the passport can be protected while being used to cross between countries.
Thus, the authentication process for travel documents is easier. This will make it easier if the passport is needed as physical evidence that can be used as evidence in court.
Throughout the journey of the establishment of Indonesian Immigration since 1945 until now, the Republic of Indonesia passport has experienced several changes in cover color. In 1945-1958, the RI passport was light gray. Furthermore, in 1959-1982 the color changed to blue, and in 1983 the color of the passport cover changed to green. In 1995 the color of the passport cover was changed to dark green, and in the last decade, namely 2014 until now, the color of the RI passport cover is greenish blue.***
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