Indians can avail a 30-day visa-free entry to Malaysia starting from December 1, the country’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Sunday.
Chinese citizens will also get 30-day visa-free entry to the Southeast Asian nation, the Malaysian state-owned news agency Bernama reported.
Malaysia becomes the third country after Thailand and Sri Lanka to offer a visa waiver to Indians in recent weeks.
However, the visa exemption is subject to security screening. “Security is a different matter,” Bernama quoted the prime minister as saying. “If there are criminal records or the risk of terrorism, they will not be allowed to enter.”
“That comes under the authority of the security forces and immigration,” he added.
Ibrahim made the announcement while addressing his People’s Justice Party congress, according to Reuters.
The decision has been reportedly welcomed by the business community in Malaysia, as the country takes steps to boost its tourism industry.
India is among the top countries sending tourists to Southeast Asian countries. In 2022, more than three lakh Indian tourists visited Malaysia, PTI reported citing data from the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board.
Last month, Sri Lanka also approved visa-free entry until March 31 for nationals from India and six other countries: China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
Thailand had followed with a similar visa waiver until May 2024 for visitors from India and Taiwan.
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