Taiwan yesterday called out Malaysia for removing the display of Taiwan’s national flag from its airport’s automated immigration clearance sign.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said the action undertaken by Malaysia seriously damaged bilateral friendship, and it urged the country to “immediately make a correction.”
The flag was recently removed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport sign showing the flags of passport holders eligible for the “immigration autogate” and pointing them in the direction of the expedited immigration clearance gates.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public via CNA
Taiwan’s representative office in Kuala Lumpur has lodged a protest with Malaysia’s foreign ministry as well as the Malaysian Friendship and Trade Centre, the ministry said.
Although the Malaysian government has informed Taiwan that the automated immigration clearance enjoyed by Taiwanese passport holders remained unaffected, the ministry said it would continue to discuss the issue with the authorities there to “safeguard the country’s dignity” and “keep the convenience for Taiwanese travelers.”
In May, Malaysia announced that travelers from 36 low-risk countries and regions, including Taiwan, would be able to use automated immigration clearance when entering Malaysia beginning on June 1.
They were in addition to travelers from a list of 10 countries — Australia, Brunei, Germany, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the US and the UK — which benefited from the automated entry system starting in December last year.
Following Taiwan’s inclusion, Taiwan began allowing Malaysian passport holders to use its automatic immigration clearance system, or e-gate, when entering the country starting on Nov. 7.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or