THERE are plans to expand the current quick response (QR) code immigration clearance system to visitors from more countries, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said this would be introduced in phases only for selected countries due to security and safety concerns.
“This is why recently there have been many so-called ‘tourists’ who have been denied entry into Malaysia, either due to their criminal records or that they had other agendas coming here, leading to their expulsion from our country.
“But I am confident that any weaknesses in this system will be resolved with the new Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) in charge of our country’s point-of-entry,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
He said this was among many new efforts to ensure the success of Visit Malaysia 2026.
He also said there would be more engagements with tourism industry stakeholders on how to help the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry promote the country.
He said stakeholders would include the managements of hotels, restaurants, airlines and travel agencies.
“Among the promising considerations right now are plans to enhance our tourism industry’s digital promotion presence overseas.
“This would allow us to better promote Malaysia tourism without needing to send delegates to each country,” he said.
He also said that six Islamic countries have nominated Malaysia to helm the global effort to enhance Islamic tourism, finance and economic instruments.
He said he had instructed the ministry to prioritise this effort with a particular focus on enhancing the Islamic tourism experience in Malaysia.
He dispelled talk that the Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) would be dissolved, adding that a new ITC director-general would be appointed soon.
The Prime Minister was responding to a question by Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) on the government’s level of preparedness for Visit Malaysia 2026.
Meanwhile, the ministry said foreign visitors to Malaysia rose by nearly 15% as of August this year to over 28 million, with most of them from India, China and Singapore.
It added that 28.2 million foreign tourists have visited Malaysia from January to August this year, which is a 14.5% increase compared to 24.7 million during the same period last year.
Singapore remained the top source of foreign visits to Malaysia with 14 million entries recorded, an 18.1% increase from 2024.
This rise was followed by a 27.5% increase in visitors from China at 3.3 million visitors, 2.9 million from Indonesia (an increase of 6.8%), 1.6 million from Thailand (an increase of 5.8%), and India at 1.1 million (22.5% increase).
“For markets that recorded a decline, greater focus will be given to carrying out more aggressive promotions and marketing missions to boost arrivals from those markets,” the ministry said in a written reply.
The ministry was responding to Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) who wanted to know the monthly number of foreign tourist arrivals to Malaysia in 2025 compared to 2024 and the reasons behind any significant change in figures.
