IN his keynote address at the 2023 Asean Tourism Forum in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing proposed that Malaysia consider visas-on-arrival (VOAs) for all to remain competitive in the global tourism industry.

This facility should have been introduced much earlier it is similar to the regular visas that are applied for in advance. It can approved or rejected. Entry can still be denied to visa holders when necessary.

It means deploying staff round the clock to process such applications speedily. But processing need not be performed at all entry points. It can be centralised and efficient.

Any country with the VOA facility will certainly boost its foreign visitor arrivals. Many affluent people travel overseas on a whim to shop or to holiday. There are also those who need to travel urgently for business, medical treatment or personal reasons.

It goes without saying that VOA will also lead to greater trade and investments from nations whose citizens that must have visas to enter Malaysia, among which are China, India, Bangladesh and  Pakistan.

In fact, these nationals ought to be granted a14-day, visa-free entry to Malaysia, just like citizens of Iran and Libya who have long enjoyed the privilege. 

There 95 nationalities who are allowed visa-free entry to Malaysia for 30 days, and 56 more who  may enter our country without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. Are citizens of these 161 countries a lesser security threat than those of China, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan?

In 2019, Chinese nationals accounted for 3.1 million tourist arrivals to Malaysia, followed by India with 735,000, Bangladesh 179,000 and Pakistan 106,000. Together, they total more than 4.1 million, more than visitors from the rest of the world combined, excluding those from Asean.

The number could have doubled or even tripled if this group of people had been allowed visa-free entry. That year, Thailand gladly received 39.9 million foreign tourists.

In 2019, China tourists spent RM15.3 billion in Malaysia. Again, tourist revenue for us could have been triple that. The same year, 155 million outbound China tourists spent US$254.6 billion globally.

Why are we still reluctant to open our doors wider to foreign tourists? Are we still bogged down by legacy issues that are more imaginary than real and which other countries have long consigned to the ash heap of history?

The global economic outlook remains gloomy with a projected negative growth of 2.9% this year. It is no surprise that many countries around the world are competing fiercely for the tourist dollar and have become friendlier and more welcoming to foreign visitors.

We have already lost billions of ringgit in the past by maintaining the same stance for certain nationalities. While national security is paramount, it should be pursued with moderation as it is also in the national interest to prosper our country for the wellbeing of our citizens. – February 9, 2023.

* Y. S. Chan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.