Visa restrictions help curb prostitution involving foreign students

KUALA LUMPUR: The decision to stop granting visas on arrival and social visit passes to foreign students could curtail crimes, including prostitution involving foreigners claiming to be students of private institutions of higher learning in the country.

Bukit Aman anti-vice, gaming and secret societies (D7) principal assistant director Datuk Abdul Jalil Hassan said the police had discussed the matter with the Immigration Department before making the recommendation to the Higher Education Ministry to stop issuing such visas and visit passes to foreign students to check the abuse.

Most of the students arrested for alleged involvement in criminal activities were pursuing short courses, such as language skills, at private colleges not under the ministry's supervision, he told Bernama on Monday.

He was commenting on the Higher Education Ministry's decision to stop issuing visas on arrival and social visit passes to foreign students to check the abuse.

Its minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said visas would only be issued to foreign students after they received an offer from public or private institutions of higher learning under the ministry's supervision.

In JITRA, Home Ministry deputy secretary-general (registration and immigration) Datuk Alwi Ibrahim said the decision would deter foreigners from taking advantage of visas on arrival and social visit passes to indulge in crimes and help attract genuine foreign students.

This will also help deter foreign students from abusing their visas, he told reporters after presenting the Prisons Department's excellent service awards to 182 prison officers and staff from the North Zone II here on Monday.

According to Bukit Aman, Chinese women topped the list of foreign prostitutes detained last year at 5,922 followed by Vietnamese (2,169), Thais (1,492), Indonesians (1,208), Filipino women (750), Myanmar (112), Indians (67), Cambodians (36), Bangladeshis (34), Lao nationals (14), Uzbekistanis (12), Nigerians (8), Ugandans (four), Austrian (one) and Taiwanese (one). - Bernama

Related Stories: Cheap flights bringing in Chinese prostitutes Sex dished out to restaurant customers China visa boost Travel agencies welcome move with open arms Indian High Comm: No decision yet on visa-on-arrival for Malaysians Foreign students running drug syndicate Nigerian with student visa held with 15kg of ganja