(Image source from: Freepik.com)

During his address at the annual congress of his People's Justice Party, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia unveiled a significant policy change regarding entry visas for Chinese and Indian citizens. Effective December 1st, Malaysia will no longer require entry visas for citizens of China and India. This means that Indian citizens will no longer need entry visas to visit Malaysia and can stay for up to 30 days without obtaining a visa. However, it is important to note that while visa requirements are lifted, there will still be security screening for Indian nationals visiting Malaysia.

Prime Minister Ibrahim had previously expressed his intentions to improve visa facilities in the coming year with the aim of attracting more tourists and investors, particularly from India and China. This move is in response to the importance of China and India as key markets for Malaysia, with China ranking fourth and India ranking fifth in terms of tourist arrivals. From January to June this year, Malaysia welcomed a total of 9.16 million tourists, with India contributing 283,885 visitors during the same period, solidifying its position as a significant source of tourists for Malaysia.

By simplifying the entry process, Malaysia has made itself more appealing to tourists, encouraging them to spend more money while visiting and ultimately boosting the country's economic growth. Malaysia now joins the ranks of Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Thailand as the fourth nation to offer visa-free entry for tourists.