Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced during his People’s Justice Party congress that Malaysia will offer visa-free entry to citizens of China and India for up to 30 days, effective December 1. The duration of this visa exemption was not specified in Anwar’s announcement.
China and India rank as Malaysia’s fourth and fifth-largest source markets, respectively. Government data reveals that between January and June of the current year, Malaysia welcomed 9.16 million tourists, with 498,540 arriving from China and 283,885 from India. In comparison, the figures for the same period in 2019, pre-pandemic, were 1.5 million arrivals from China and 354,486 from India.
This decision mirrors measures taken by neighboring Thailand to rejuvenate its tourism sector and revitalize its economy. Chinese and Indian nationals, who currently need visas to enter Malaysia, will benefit from this move, aligning with broader regional efforts to stimulate tourism and economic recovery.
