Zahid: Malaysia to open visa processing centre in Xiamen

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — The government will set up a visa processing centre in Xiamen this year, to tap on the potential one million tourists from the area.

This will be the fifth visa processing centre in China after Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Kunming.

“The Immigration Department and related vendors will be directed to operate the centre,” Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday.

“I hope this facility will not be abused. Appropriate action will be taken against those who abuse the privilege provided,” Zahid said when opening the tourism exhibition organised by the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA).

Zahid also announced expanding visa waiver/visa free programme to Chinese and Indian professional residents living outside their respective countries, such as Middle East, Europe and North America, to encourage them visit Malaysia.

MITA president Uzaidi Udanis came for praise from the Deputy Prime Minister who said the association was able to increase the number of exhibitors from 150 last year to 650 this year.

Zahid pledged RM1 million for next year’s MITA fair and called on the association to increase the participation to 1,000.

He called on Tourism and Culture Ministry to organise language courses for tourist guides to encourage them to pick up foreign languages to facilitate catering to visitors from China, India and emerging markets like Eastern Europe.

Zahid encouraged the expansion and promotion of Home-stay programmes for inbound tourists to help small business owners benefit from tourism.  

This year’s exhibition saw MITA hosting 70 foreign travel agents from several countries including China, Jordan and from Asean. Travel agents from throughout the country are also taking part.

An estimated 30 million visitors are expected to visit Malaysia this year, earning the country more than RM103 billion in foreign exchange.
“Malaysia receives almost 100 groups of tourists from China daily. Thus an increase from 1.3 million in 2015 to 1.7 million last year,” said organising chairman Adam Kamal.