Malaysia has temporarily frozen the issuance of visas to people from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Canada in a bid to contain the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome or SARS, Kuala Lumpur's representative in Taipei yesterday.
"The Immigration Department of Malaysia has been directed to impose a suspension on the issuance of visas to the citizens from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Canada," the Malaysia Friendship and Trade Center in Taipei said in a press release.
"It should be emphasized that the suspension of visas on the affected countries/regions is only temporary," the statement said,describing containing the spread of SARS as a "national security issue."
"There has been a lot of confusion over the past few days with regards to the case of Taiwan," said an official from the Malaysian trade office.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called on the Malaysian government to reconsider its decision to impose travel restrictions on visitors from Taiwan.
"We feel regretful and disappointed with Malaysia's decision," ministry spokesman Richard Shih (
Abd Rahim bin Bakri, Malay-sia's top representative to Taiwan, visited the foreign ministry yesterday to explain his government's position, his second such visit this week.
According to Shih, Bakri told the ministry that the new policy would be effective as of Monday.
According to the trade center's statement, officials, businesspeople, expatriates given approval to work in Malaysia, investors and students with valid student passes from the five named nations or territories who have clean medical records will be given visas.
People who wish to apply for a visa will be required to "present a medical certificate issued by a certified medical practitioner in their respective countries confirming they are free from the symptoms of SARS," the statement said.
All travelers from these five places will still be screened upon arrival in Malaysia, the statement said.
Travelers from these places who are non-natives and not required to obtain visas in order to enter Malaysia will only be subject to medical screening upon arrival.
However, citizens from the five places who are currently in no-countries not affected by SARS will still have to present a medical certificate when applying for a visa.
RSS