Malaysia to ease visa rules for Indians traveling from Chennai
Malaysia to ease visa rules for Indians traveling from Chennai
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia on 16 March said Indians, except residents of Chennai, who use the southern city as an exit point to visit the country will be granted visa on arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
In December, Malaysia had stopped issuing visa on arrival for all Indians arriving from Chennai, saying many people had abused the system to work illegally in the country.
Residents of Chennai will still have to get visa beforehand from the Malaysian Consulate, the country’s deputy prime minister Najib Razak said here.
Najib said authorities had found that 25% of those arriving from Chennai had overstayed. However, he added that the blanket ban on visa was making travel difficult for other Indians who visited Chennai from other cities to take a connecting flight to Malaysia.
According to home ministry figures here, of the 19,000 Indian overstayers, 3,000 were from Chennai.
In an effort to woo tourists from the Middle-East, Malaysia has also extended the length of tourist visas on arrival for people from Iran, Iraq, Palestinian territories and Syria.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!