JASSMINE SHADIQE
KUALA LUMPUR: The uptick in the number of Indian nationals being turned away at Malaysia’s entry points has prompted the Indian High Commission to issue the following advisory to its nationals: Have your documents in order or risk being sent back.
The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) has intensified checks at the country’s entry points, particularly at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which has resulted in more foreigners being denied entry.
Indian nationals can enter Malaysia visa free for 30 days. However, several of them had been denied entry and placed in the “Not To Land” (NTL) category.
Immigration officers had flagged foreigners arriving with insufficient funds, unverifiable accommodation, dubious return tickets and suspected job-seeking disguised as tourist travel.
Those on the NTL list would be placed in airport holding areas until a flight is available to send them home, which sometimes takes days.
The advisory, issued this week by the High Commission of India here, came after a spate of entry denials triggered mounting concern among Indian nationals.
The mission asked its citizens to comply strictly with Malaysian entry regulations, reminding them that the visa waiver, extended until December next year, was strictly for short-term visits and not for employment.
“Unscrupulous agents are misleading Indian citizens regarding jobs in Malaysia under the visa-free scheme.
“The 30-day waiver does not cover employment. Travellers are strongly advised to avoid being cheated,” the high commission said.
It said visitors must present proof of sufficient funds, verifiable accommodation bookings and valid return tickets, alongside mandatory registration on the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card portal.
The New Straits Times learned that the clampdown was a result of an increase in fraudulent entries, including the arrest last month of an Indian national at KLIA for attempting to enter using a fake passport.
An Immigration source confirmed that KLIA had sent home more than a hundred foreigners last month alone, most of them flagged under the tightened vetting system.
The move reflects Malaysia’s effort to strike a balance between facilitating travel and curbing abuse of the visa-free entry scheme, particularly amid reports of rising syndicate activity, including the “flying passport” ruse and ghost entries.
Sources said the Immigration Department and MCBA were working with airlines to improve pre-departure screening, besides monitoring social media for illegal recruitment of Indian jobseekers.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
