Mayor: Visa-free entry ‘an enlightened move’ by Putrajaya

MIRI (Nov 28): The decision by the federal government in granting 30-day visa-free entry for travellers from designated countries promoting tourism is an enlightened move for Malaysia to regain its tourism and economic buzz, says Miri Mayor Adam Yii.

He expects that this would attract more tourists who are turned off by the hassle of a time-consuming process of applying for visas, and would stimulate the growth of local tourism, bringing economic benefits to hotels, restaurants, retail and other related sectors.

“This is the kind of ‘enlightened government’ that is needed. Compared to previous issues such as the ‘Palestinian Week’ and concert’s guidelines, people are currently more hopeful to see the government actively pushing for progress and reforms, and implementing ‘enlightening policies’ to lead Malaysia out of economic difficulties,” he said in a statement, issued in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement that starting Dec 1 this year, citizens of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, China and India visiting Malaysia could enjoy the convenience of a 30-day visa-free entry.

However, the exemption would still be subject to security screenings for past records of crime or violence, said Anwar at the 2023 Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) National Congress in Putrajaya last Sunday.

Yii, who is Pujut assemblyman, said such a decision by Putrajaya would ‘build bridges of friendship between Malaysia and the international community’, even attracting foreign investments through on-site inspections in Malaysia.

However, Yii also cautioned that this visa-free policy might also come with some challenges, such as security and immigration control issues.

In this regard, he called upon the federal government to address all potential security concerns.