Best time to renew your international passport

All these while, I was under the misconception that it is ok to renew your Malaysian passport any time before the expiry date as the new expiry date would run 5 years from my current expiry date.

I was WRONG!

My cousin who renewed hers recently was shortchanged 2 months!!

Note expiry on 1 Dec 2013

Note new expiry on 17 October 2018 and not 1 Dec 2018

When she renewed on 17 April 2013, meaning another 8 months before expiry on December 2013, she was given a new expiry of 17 October 2018.. extension of only 5 years 6 months.

How did it happened??

A check with the immigration department website reveals that:-

"Jika pemohon ingin memohon Pasport baru menggantikan Pasport yang belum tamat tempoh sahlakunya , baki tempoh (had maksima 6 bulan sahaja) yang ada dalam Pasport lama akan dimasukkan ke dalam Pasport baru dengan syarat-syarat berikut:

a. Bukan kes hilang atau rosak

b. Bukan kes dalam siasatan

c. Bukan permohonan gantian pasport untuk tempoh sahlaku dua(2) tahun"

(For more information, click pasport-malaysia-antarabangsa)

So what does this mean?
DO NOT renew your passport until you have less than 6 months before your expiry date!

You will end up giving money earlier to the government and being punished for doing so. What a stupid system!