KUALA LUMPUR Nov 27 : The Immigration Department will establish a special task force to monitor the departure of tourists from China and India, to be conducted on the last date of the 30-day visa-free period in Malaysia.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said it was part of the efforts to step up security measures as the government is set to undertake initiatives under the visa liberalisation plan, with surveillance reports to be made periodically.
“The visa liberalisation plan would be strengthened with integrated security and enforcement measures among the relevant agencies, to curb the influx of foreigners and illegal immigrants.
“The Home Ministry, through the Immigration Department and police, will (continue to) safeguard the security and public safety by maintaining the preliminary screening on all the travellers, especially those with criminal records and terror risks,” he said in a statement.
In addition, patrolling activities would be stepped up at areas famous among foreigners such as Masjid India, Plaza Lowyat, and Bukit Bintang; beefing up intelligence and enforcement activities on not only foreign workers, but also employers who employ or harbour illegal immigrants, he said.
Saifuddin said the stringent Not-to-Land (NTL) list was maintained and would not be compromised, with airlines given the responsibility to check whether the travellers flying with the company have “confirmed return tickets and confirmed hotel bookings”.
He said the government would also explore the proposed mandatory data entry under the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) that will be integrated with the MyIMMs immigration system to ensure entry of all foreign tourists are recorded.
It will also review the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Immigration Regulations 1963 pertaining to penalties, as a long-term measure.
Following the recently announced visa-free travel for tourists from China and India, the government is now undertaking the visa liberalisation plan in efforts to ensure Malaysia remains the destination of choice in the region.
He said the plan, also aimed at ensuring Malaysia remains a destination of choice, would see enhancements to existing immigration facilities for tourists from Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and West Asia, among others.
“The improvements under the liberalisation plan will be implemented from Dec 1 in taking a new approach and policy shift, based on current needs.”
Apart from the 30-day visa exemption for tourists from China and India from Dec 1, the plan includes a 30-day Multiple Entry Visa (MEV) for all travellers into Malaysia, as well as a long-term social visit pass of up to 12 months for international students from 23 countries who have graduated here and wish to either further their studies, travel, or work part-time in sectors permitted in the country.
The countries are Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Switzerland, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and the United States.
The government also offers umrah transit visas for a period of seven days through licensed umrah package agents registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry; visa validity period extended from three to six months, and social visit pass standardised to a minimum 30 days for tourists from all countries requiring visa to enter Malaysia.
He said the plan would be reviewed in one year to gauge the return on investment (ROI) and amendments to be made if necessary.
