UK Considers Revoking Malaysia’s Visa-Exempt Status
I am very disheartened as I read the news clip on UK Home Office’s decision to review the visa-free privileges currently enjoyed by Malaysian passport holders when entering Britain. Malaysia, among other 11 countries that might be affected by a tough new visa regime, has 6 months to convince UK by “making security improvements.”
Malaysians used to be able to visit Canada without a visa, but not anymore. If UK does decide to remove Malaysia from the visa-exemption list, other European Union countries are likely to follow suit. Then, a transatlantic trip would be overwhelmed with visa red tapes. Not only are these procedures time consuming, they cost some money too. I think if this happened, a Malaysian passport holder will definitely need to go through visa screening process to get into any country in the Anglo sphere.
The Home Office has tentatively decided to add Malaysia into UK visa list because some Malaysians had abused entry permits and overstayed. According to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband
A total of 1,524 Malaysians violated British laws, for offences which included overstaying, credit card fraud, illegal employment and other crimes.
It is sad that bona fide travelers might have to bear the consequences of violations by irresponsible Malaysians.
Hello Eric,
I am 66, retired and bought an apartment in Langkawi for my retirement in 2006. I have spent two winters here. I go back in April when the wet season starts to spend the summer in UK. Last Sunday when I arrived at Langkawi airport they asked me what I was doing here and why I was coming back and forth. I told them that I owned and apartment here and that I had a receipt for £20,000 for the money I had transferred into the RHB bank for my expenses. They wanted to give me a 14 visa but when I complained saying it was not enough they very reluctantly gave me a 90 day visa and wrote over it in biro “LAST”. When I asked when I could come back again they told me “ask immigration”.
You and I know what this is all about. It is a knee jerk tit-for-tat. It looks like I am now faced with selling my apartment and car and transferring my money back to UK. There are no winners in this kind of situation except spite and ill feeling.