KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — Malaysia has issued up to yesterday 734,364 electronic visas or e-visas introduced for 10 countries on May 1 last year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the facility enabled these foreign nationals to apply for the visa to enter Malaysia without having to go to the respective Malaysian missions.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said Malaysia had the collaboration of Interpol and Aseanapol in monitoring the use of these e-visas.
“We will also implement the Advance Passenger Screening System (APSS) which will further strengthen control and ensure that there is no compromise in terms of the security aspects,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time in the house.
He was replying to the question from Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN-Lenggong) on Malaysia’s initiative to facilitate the visa application to draw more tourists, especially from China and India, in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020.
Replying to a question from Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang) on whether the government had plans to exempt the visa for tourists from China, Ahmad Zahid said that it was the Chinese government that requested for its nationals to be registered in the system of entry into Malaysia.
“We are cooperating with them because the Chinese tourists need to know that they are given a visa for 15 days and that they have to return to their country before the expiry of the period,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid also said that the Embassy of China in Malaysia was taking proactive measures this year with the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and Culture to draw at least three million tourists to Malaysia. — Bernama
