Malaysia is set to introduce a 30-day visa-free entry for citizens of India and China starting from December 1, as announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. This initiative mirrors recent efforts by Thailand and Sri Lanka to attract more tourists by providing convenient entry facilities for foreigners.
Ibrahim, who also serves as the Finance Minister, explained that the visa waiver is an extra convenience, supplementing the current visa exemptions that are already in place for Gulf nations and various West Asian countries, including Turkiye and Jordan, as per a report by PTI.
However, he clarified that the visa exemption is contingent upon thorough security screening, as reported by the official Bernama news agency.
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As a part of the influential 10-member ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) bloc, Malaysia offers a 30-day visa-free entry, a privilege extended to eight other ASEAN nations as well, for social visits, tourism, and business purposes.
India continues to be a major source of tourist arrivals for Malaysia. In 2022, Malaysia hosted 324,548 Indian tourists, and in the first quarter of 2023, the country welcomed 164,566 Indian tourists, a significant increase from 13,370 during the same period the previous year, as reported by Tourism Malaysia.
Malaysia's move mirrors visa waiver actions taken by Sri Lanka and Thailand. Sri Lanka has initiated a visa-free entry program for visitors from India and six additional countries, including China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. This initiative, in effect until March 31, 2024, is geared towards increasing tourist influx to Sri Lanka, with the tourism ministry aiming to attract five million tourists in the upcoming years.
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