BTB

Even as there are concerns about how Malaysia treats Chinese nationals, which may have even resulted in the reduction of the number of Chinese arrivals this year, Malaysia has announced that Chinese nationals intending to visit the South East Asian country will have the option of online visa applications and paying the visa fee using credit cards when the system is up in two months.

Malaysia’s Home Affairs Minister Seri Azmi Khalid said that the initiative was being taken to encourage more visitors, with applicants getting response within 24 hours. Currently, visitors would have to submit their applications at consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Kunming. The successful applicant would be given a number to be presented together with the passport on arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Those without credit card or online facilities could go through authorized travel agents in their areas. Azmi led a 14-member delegation to China to assuage Chinese concerns arising from a recent spate of bad press involving Chinese nationals. Last year, 564,000 Chinese tourists came here, making it an average of 47,000 every month. This year, from January to September, 249,000 came, or 27,666 tourists a month. He said that said a massive campaign would be launched early next year and the first would be the “Ang Pow Festival” in the run-up to the Chinese New Year celebration in January. He said Chinese tourists would be given discounted holiday packages and vouchers for shopping. The minister apologized for recent crimes against Chinese citizens in Malaysia, but fell short of apologizing for a sensational video that some say portrays racist police brutality in his country. For its part, China urged the Malaysian side to continue making thorough investigations on the assault and humiliation of Chinese citizens in Malaysia, Shen Guofang, assistant to Chinese foreign minister. The minister from Malaysia tried to explain and did not apologize for the videotape, which appears to be footage of an ethnic Chinese woman in Malaysian police custody being forced to do squats while naked. “This lady, perhaps, has been suspected of carrying drugs,” the minister said. “To make the person squat up and down is one of the ways to eject the drugs.” The footage has sparked concerns that Malaysian police unfairly target Chinese. Azmi said the incident was being investigated. Azmi conveyed that Malaysia was sorry for recent crimes against Chinese citizens in Malaysia. “The thing is, for the things that have happened, especially there was a case of murder and there was a case of rape. These are outside our control, actually, but we apologizes, because we don’t like to see these things happen,” Azmi said.