Exemption reflects positive view towards Malaysia, says group
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is the only South-East Asian country to benefit from China’s visa exemption move, according to the Malaysia-China Friendship Association.
Its president Datuk Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan said this was a testimony to the close ties between the two countries ahead of their 50th year of diplomatic relations next year.
He said bilateral relations were set for a further boost with the unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Malaysia starting next month.
“This reflects China’s positive view towards Malaysia and I believe this move will benefit both countries,” he told Bernama.
The Chinese government on Friday announced that it would implement a unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Malaysia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain on a trial basis, from Dec 1, 2023 to Nov 30, 2024.
Abdul Majid also hoped that the initiative would increase people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, particularly among experts, to contribute significantly to Malaysia’s national development.
“Malaysia needs experts from China who are proficient in manufacturing and engineering because many investors indicated that Malaysia lacks expertise in those areas.
“As for China, they need design experts from Malaysia because we have expertise in the field of animation in particular, and this could form the basis for mutual exchange,” he said.
Nuzha Travel and Tour Sdn Bhd founder Ammar Yusop said the visa exemption initiative would encourage more travel agencies to offer holiday packages to China.
“Currently, many tourists spend less than 10 days in China. I expect around 2,000 to 3,000 Malaysians to go there within the one-year period, compared to just 500 to 600 before,” he said.
He said with savings of between RM80 and RM100 from the visa exemption, travel agencies could enhance their holiday packages, enabling tourists to visit more local “must-see” attractions.
Taikoborongchina.com entrepreneur Zulhariry Amiruddin said the visa-free initiative would increase the number of Malaysian entrepreneurs sourcing goods from China as they would be able to go over to assess the quality of products before buying.
“Before this, most entrepreneurs selling goods from China relied solely on online services, but I believe after this, there will be more interest in going there to deal with suppliers,” he said.
