Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced a new policy now granting visa-free entry for Chinese and Indian nationals for stays of up to 30 days.

Key Points:

• Malaysia’s Home Affairs Ministry clarified that the visa exemption for Chinese and Indian nationals will be effective until Dec. 31, 2024.
• Malaysia recorded a total of 782,425 tourist arrivals from China and India from January through June of this year, according to government data.

BAL Analysis: Other neighboring countries are taking similar measures, as China recently announced visa-free entry for Malaysian nationals and five European countries. The new policy is part of a wider Malaysian policy to boost tourism, and the government intends to provide further visa liberalization in the future. BAL will provide more information as it becomes available.