Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has made a big call by offering visa-free travel for tourists from Arab countries, India, and China.
Where before travelers would need to apply for a visa to enter Malaysia, effective from December they will be allowed to stay in Malaysia for up to 30 days without a visa.
Anwar said the initiative is part of Malaysia’s broader strategy to boost tourism and foster closer relationships with the said countries.
Thailand has also introduced similar initiatives in an effort to boost the economy and travel industry, the northern neighbour found much success after launching the visa-free program, especially targeting the China market.
“We are also extending a 30-day visa-free facility to Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran and other West Asian countries, such as Turkiye and Jordan, as well as India and China, starting December 1,” he said during his winding-up speech at Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) National Congress 2023 held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, here today.
Anwar explained that the visa-free policy would also commemorate the 50-year celebration of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations next year. China recently also announced a visa-free travel into China for Malaysians, however, the project is on a trial basis.
The Chinese Embassy in a statement on Friday said that the visa-free travel, which is to further promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia, is offered to Malaysian citizens holding ordinary passports who enter China for business, tourism, family visits, and transit purposes.
It added that visitors extending their stay beyond 15 days must apply for visas.
