KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department will not acquiesce to the Tourism Ministry’s request to waive visas for Chinese tourists amid the drop in arrivals as they cannot compromise national security.

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim said the department would continue carrying out its task in sending away those deemed threats to the country.

He told the New Straits Times the department was not going to compromise on the country’s security by allowing suspect arrivals through the country’s borders without proper monitoring tools, such as the issuance of visas, in place.

Mustafa said he was standing by the department’s stand that Chinese citizens would only be allowed visa-free entry if they were in a group of at least 20 people.

“We are not going to jeopardise national security just to help promote tourist arrivals. If we see the need to deny entry to undesirable foreigners, we will do it whether or not they are from China,” he said.

A senior officer in the department, who wanted to remain anonymous, said screening foreign visitors, including Chinese tourists, was necessary to protect the country and to ensure only “quality” tourists were entering Malaysia.

He said those unhappy with the department’s decision should consider the fact that although tourist arrivals in Malaysia were higher than its neighbours, it earned less tourist dollars.

Law enforcers opposed to the call for the visa-free facility to be extended to Chinese tourists provided NST with statistics of transgressions over the years.

Between 2013 and April this year, more than 11,000 women from China, most on social visit passes, were arrested for involvement in prostitution.

In 2006, the department had taken issue with a circular issued by the Tourism Ministry ordering it to “stop asking (tourists) questions”.

When NST exposed this circular three years ago, the Tourism Minister had promised to lift it.

The circular had been widely regarded by law enforcement authorities as the primary reason behind the influx of foreigners.

Immigration officers said the document was still being “observed” by the department, and some remained “plastered” on office walls.

The document was issued following a cabinet Committee on Tourism meeting on Aug 17, 2006, in which those present agreed with the view of tourism industry players that “excessive security screening” was adversely impacting tourist arrivals.

“It’s still there but we have taken it upon ourselves to ‘revise’ it for the better. We need to be logical when manning the front line... we can’t allow anyone to pass, especially if the person looks suspicious.

“Questions like how much cash they have on them, where they will be staying and their flight schedule are important.

“We need to know if they are here as genuine tourists, so logically, they must have cash... No?”

The department officer’s view was echoed by an officer on the front-lines of the nation — the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

The officer, who wanted to remain anonymous, said while it was easy to spot non-genuine tourists, many slip through the gates and were later found rounded up in vice raids.

“If this issue is ever to be addressed, the country must have a system that tracks visitors’ movements.

“We do not know where they go and what they will be doing in the country. We can’t even say for sure if they have left the country before their time is up.

“Sometimes, we only find out if they are rounded up in raids.”

On Tuesday, Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz hit out at the department for failing to observe implementation of the visa-free entry facility for Chinese tourists.

He said regulations imposed by the department were too stringent, citing the arrivals between January and June this year (751,385) dropped from the 850,877 arrivals in the corresponding period last year.

“While neighbouring countries are eliminating visas, Malaysia is tightening visa (rules),” he had said at the Dewan Rakyat sitting.

Nazri’s statement, however, clashed with reports quoting Tourism Promotion Board chairman Wee Choo Keong in August.

Wee had said the visa-free facility came with eight conditions, including that it was only available to groups of 20 or more people, travelling with tour operators registered with the Tourism and Culture Ministry.

Resource : New Straits Times Online