PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry (KDN) and the Immigration Department yesterday denied consenting to additional security screening to be imposed on Chinese tourists applying for the Malaysian visa.
KDN secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim said tourists wishing to travel to Malaysia, including those from China, could now apply for a visa via manual application through the One Stop Centre (OSC) or via online (eVISA).
“Chinese tourists can also apply for a visa through a third option using the Electronic Travel Registration and Information (eNTRI), which is a special facility provided for China nationals during the visa exemption period which ends on Dec 31, 2018.
“The security screening carried out by the Immigration Department of Malaysia is a standard operating procedure (SOP) before visa approval is granted and acts as an early mechanism to verify the applicant’s background,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The statement was issued following the report titled “China nationals coming to Malaysia to be subject to pre-screening” on July 10, 2018, on additional security screening procedures for Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia to be implemented by the Chinese Citizen Security Assessment Centre to Malaysia (CCSACM).
The report stated that CCSACM operated by China Zhong An Peace Holdings Co Ltd (CZAHP) had been tasked with implementing pre-screening on Chinese nationals who intend to travel abroad. — Bernama