Visa exemption extended for five years to boost economy
PUTRAJAYA: The Visa Liberalisation Plan (PLV) for Chinese visitors has been extended for another five years, as the initiative has shown immediate positive impact on the country's economy, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the decision to extend the PLV was part of a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and documents signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent state visit to Malaysia, covering various sectors of cooperation.
Among them was a joint visa exemption agreement for holders of public affairs and ordinary passports, signed by Saifuddin Nasution and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
'We will extend it for the next five years, and after that, there will be an option to renew it for another five years - allowing Chinese nationals to stay in our country for up to 90 days as tourists.
'And China will reciprocate with the same arrangement for us,' he told reporters after the Home Ministry's monthly assembly here today.
The Visa Liberalisation Plan is designed to boost national income and will be implemented by enhancing existing immigration facilities available to travellers from various regions, including Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and West Asia.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the joint visa exemption agreement will deepen exchanges and cooperation, further advancing the China-Malaysia community with a shared future.
Saifuddin Nasution said the arrangement has already shown positive results, with tourist arrivals from China on the rise. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Chinese tourists spend an average of RM7,000 during their stay in Malaysia.
'So when we look at the arrival numbers, it's clear that this is a formula with immediate economic benefits and a significant impact,' he said.
As of April this year, Malaysia has recorded close to 900,000 tourist arrivals from China, Saifuddin Nasution noted, adding that more than four million Chinese tourists visited the country last year.
He stressed that the tourism aspect is an important component of the country's economic contributors because it has an immediate impact compared to investments.
In another development, Saifuddin Nasution also launched the Investigation and Complaints Management System (SPEAKS), which aims to make it easier for the public to lodge complaints against members of the Royal Malaysia Police.
'Anyone wishing to file a complaint against police enforcement personnel can now do so through the SPEAKS platform, provided they include complete details such as the time, location, individuals involved, and the nature of the incident,' he said.
He added that SPEAKS facilitates the public in submitting complaints to the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC), enabling prompt and appropriate follow-up actions to be taken.
Regarding MyDigital ID, Saifuddin Nasution, who also chairs the Cabinet Committee on MyDigital ID, said the ministry will table amendments to the National Registration Act to support the legal framework for its use.
'Our task is to present these amendments in Parliament to ensure the application, use, and transactions involving Digital ID are recognised as legally valid,' he said.
He added that the National Registration Department (NRD) has been appointed the lead agency for MyDigital ID pre-registration, aimed at boosting digital ID enrolment nationwide.
MyDigital ID, introduced in 2016, is a government initiative designed to provide secure and legally recognised digital identity verification for online users.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Duisburg launches return leg of ASEAN Express to boost Europe-Asia trade
DUISBURG, Germany, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A freight train loaded with maternal and infant products, cosmetics, and medical supplies departed Duisburg, Germany on Saturday, marking the launch of the return leg of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Express service. The departure marks the start of bidirectional operations for a new trade corridor linking Europe and Asia. The train is expected to arrive in ASEAN countries in 19 days, traveling via Chongqing, an inland municipality in southwest China. The ASEAN Express has achieved "seamless connection" between two vital international trade routes of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the China-Europe freight train service. Its transportation efficiency has significantly improved compared with traditional sea routes. "As the service continues to be optimized and expanded, more enterprises are expected to benefit from this efficient and reliable logistics solution, ushering in a new era of trade," said Liu Taiping, chairman of New Land-Sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd. Li Yan, deputy director of Chongqing port and logistics office, said the ASEAN Express, as an extension of the China-Europe freight train service, is poised to become an efficient, green, and stable economic and trade corridor connecting the two continents. Following the departure ceremony, a promotional event for the ASEAN Express was held, during which representatives from Chinese and German enterprises exchanged views on corridor cooperation and supporting services. Several cooperation agreements were signed.
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
China and Philippines report encounter in South China Sea
BEIJING/MANILA (Bloomberg): China's coast guard said it drove away a Philippine ship around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the latest friction in a longstanding rivalry in the strategic waterway. "The China Coast Guard gradually took necessary measures such as shouting warnings, following and forcing, and water cannon warnings to drive away the Philippine ship,' it said in a statement. The Philippine coast guard said its Chinese counterpart harassed the vessel that was distributing fuel to Filipino fishing boats around the Scarborough Shoal, which is located within Manila's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. "Despite these aggressive actions, including blocking maneuvers and a water cannon attack that briefly struck the port quarter of BRP Datu Taradapit, the vessel adeptly maneuvered away to avoid significant damage,' it said in a statement late Friday. China has deployed large coast guard ships and a maritime militia in parts of the South China Sea. To maintain its presence in the waterway, the Philippines supports Filipino fishers by regularly distributing fuel, food and other supplies. Since taking office in 2022, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos has bolstered relations with the US and other countries in an effort to counter China's expansive and competing claims in the South China Sea, which were invalidated by an international arbitration ruling in 2016. The strategic waterway is believed to be rich in oil and gas reserves, and is a channel for trillions of dollars of sea-borne trade. --With assistance from Andreo Calonzo.-- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
South-East Asia's budget airlines bet on travel demand, despite competition woes: Analysis
SEOUL: South-East Asia's biggest budget airlines are pursuing a bruising capacity expansion race despite rising cost pressures that are squeezing profitability and led Qantas Airways to shut down Singapore-based offshoot Jetstar Asia. Low-cost carriers have proliferated in Asia in the past two decades as disposable incomes rise, supported by robust travel demand from Chinese tourists. Demand for air travel in Asia is expected to grow faster than other regions in the next few decades and carriers like Vietnam's VietJet Aviation and Malaysia-headquartered AirAsia are to buy more planes to add to their already large orderbooks as they seek to gain market share. But margins are thinner than in other regions. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline industry body, this year expects Asia-Pacific airlines to make a net profit margin of 1.9%, compared with a global average of 3.7%. Airlines across Asia have largely restored capacity since the pandemic, which has intensified competition, especially for price-sensitive budget travellers, and pulled airfares down from recent high levels. International airfares in Asia dropped 12% in 2024 from 2023, ForwardKeys data shows. AirAsia, the region's largest budget carrier, reported a 9% decline in average airfares in the first quarter as it added capacity and passed savings from lower fuel prices onto its customers. Adding to challenges for airlines, costs such as labour and airport charges are also rising, while a shortage of new planes is driving up leasing and maintenance fees. This shifting landscape prompted Australia's Qantas to announce last week that its loss-making low-cost intra-Asia subsidiary Jetstar Asia would shut down by the end of July after two decades of operations. Jetstar Asia said it had seen "really high cost increases" at its Singapore base, including double-digit rises in fuel, airport fees, ground handling and security charges. "It is a very thin buffer, and with margins this low, any cost increase can impact an airline's viability," said IATA Asia-Pacific Vice President Sheldon Hee, adding that operating costs were escalating in the region. Aviation data firm OAG in a February white paper said Asia-Pacific was the world's most competitive aviation market, with airfares driven down by rapid capacity expansion "perhaps to a point where profits are compromised". "Balancing supply to demand and costs to revenue have never been more critical," the report said of the region's airlines. South-East Asia has an unusually high concentration of international budget flights. Around two-thirds of international seats within South-East Asia so far this year were on budget carriers, compared to about one-third of international seats globally, CAPA Centre for Aviation data shows. Qantas took the option to move Jetstar Asia's aircraft to more cost-efficient operations in Australia and New Zealand rather than continue to lose money, analysts say. Budget operators in South-East Asia were struggling for profits amid fierce competition even before the pandemic and now there is the added factor of higher costs, said Asia-based independent aviation analyst Brendan Sobie. Low-cost carriers offer bargain fares by driving operating costs as low as possible. Large fleets of one aircraft type drive efficiencies of scale. Jetstar Asia was much smaller than local rivals, with only 13 aircraft. As of March 31, Singapore Airlines' budget offshoot Scoot had 53 planes, AirAsia had 225 and VietJet had 117, including its Thai arm. Low-cost Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific had 99. All four are adding more planes to their fleets this year and further into the future. VietJet on Tuesday signed a provisional deal to buy up to another 150 single-aisle Airbus planes at the Paris Airshow, in a move it said was just the beginning as the airline pursues ambitious growth. The deal comes weeks after it ordered 20 A330neo wide-body planes, alongside an outstanding order for 200 Boeing 737 MAX jets. AirAsia, which has an existing orderbook of at least 350 planes, is also in talks to buy 50 to 70 long-range single-aisle jetliners, and 100 regional jets that could allow it to expand to more destinations, its CEO Tony Fernandes said on Wednesday. "At the end of the day, it is go big or go home," said Subhas Menon, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines. - Reuters
