The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday reminded Taiwanese artists traveling to Malaysia to perform to apply for the correct permits, following the arrest of four Taiwanese opera artists for visa violations.
Four Taiwanese and two Singaporean opera performers were arrested in Penang on Thursday last week for allegedly breaching their social visit passes by staging performances, Malaysia’s Penang Immigration Department said.
MOFA said that Malaysian immigration authorities on Friday notified its office in the country of the arrests.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
MOFA’s office in Malaysia also received a phone call from friends of the four Taiwanese arrested the same day, the ministry said.
Malaysian authorities raided the grounds of a place of worship in Butterworth on Thursday after receiving a tip-off about a group of foreign nationals performing without valid permits, Malaysian and Singaporean news reports said.
The detained people were aged 40 to 60, they said.
Penang Immigration director Nur Zulfa Ibrahim was quoted as saying that the performers were dressed in costumes and in the middle of their act when arrested.
Checks showed that the group had only social visit passes without the necessary approvals for artistic activities.
The performers are being probed for violating their pass conditions as stipulated under Regulation 11(7)(a) of the Malaysian Immigration Regulations, the reports said.
The performers each face a maximum of six months in jail, a fine of up to 1,000 Malaysian ringgits (US$232), or both, upon conviction for the offense, the department said on Facebook.
However, Danny Tan, the organizer of the opera performance, said that immigration authorities had not told them of the reason for the arrests.
He said he was still in talks with Malaysian authorities on whether they can secure the artists’ release by paying a fine.
MOFA said the four entered Malaysia on a visa-free scheme and are under investigation for breaching the terms of their entry.
MOFA said Taiwanese should apply for the right visa when visiting Malaysia, warning that those who fail to do so could face fines and even prison time.
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