Grant visa-free entry for China and India

I REFER to the report “M’sia hopes for US visa waiver” ( The Star, Feb 16).

Last week, US Ambassador Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir said the Trump administration was not looking at including new countries in its visa waiver programme.

Previously, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the Home Minister, had expressed confidence that Malaysia, having complied with all the stated requirements, would make it into the programme by this September.

However, Malaysians remain hopeful as a visa waiver would certainly facilitate travel, especially for holiday makers, to the United States.

Malaysia has also recognised the importance of granting visa-free entry to foreign nationals, as our country continues to attract visitors from all over the world.

Citizens of 94 countries may enter Malaysia visa-free and stay for up to 30 days, and another 38 countries plus 28 nations of the European Union are granted up to 90 days visa-free entry.

Only two countries, Iran and Libya, are restricted to 14 days.

But two countries with the largest population in the world, China and India, are not included in any of the above.

Our hope for a visa waiver to the United States has long been felt by China and India nationals who wish to visit our country.

Although they can now apply for e-Visa, there is nothing more effective and welcoming than visa-free entry for short stays.

If citizens from 160 nations are granted visafree entry into Malaysia for 30 to 90 days, China and India nationals should at least be allowed in for 14 days visa-free.

This is especially so when many countries around the world are welcoming visitors from China and India with open arms, having removed all stops that might deter them.

The only way to double the number of China and India visitors to our country within a relatively short time is to remove this barrier, and it can only be dismantled by changing old mindsets.

In today’s borderless world, there is no need to migrate for economic reasons, as any individual or organisation can flourish anywhere with the right talent and connectivity.

It is therefore pointless to be resolute in controlling visitors from China and India when online businesses are operating freely in cyberspace.

The least we could do is to be more welcoming so that more visitors can spend their money in our country, which would create more jobs and boost income in the shortest time possible. MULTIANGLED VIEWS Kuala Lumpur