Published: Thursday November 5, 2009 MYT 12:27:00 PM
Parliament: VOAs important for tourism
By YENG AI CHUN
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has no plans to stop issuing Visas On Arrival (VOAs) to tourists entering the country as they were created to boost the tourism industry, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop told the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.
Responding to Ab Aziz Ab Kadir (PKR-Ketereh) during the question and answer session in Parliament on the number of foreign nationals who have abused their VOAs to overstay, he said the VOA is a social pass that allows a visitor to be in the country for between 14 days and three months.
“Most of the visitors who overstay are those who enter the country with a VOA,” he admitted.
“According to statistics, from 2006 to Aug 2009, a total of 28% of VOA holders or 75,462 people overstayed,” he said.
His answer prompted Ab Aziz to question whether the Government placed priority on national security or tourism.
“Where does the Government stand? It seems like it places more importance on income derived from tourism,” Ab Aziz said.
Abu Seman said that while the VOA is being used to boost tourism, the Government has taken steps where national security is concerned and has excluded countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and also India.
The last has the most number of visitors who have abused their VOAs, he added.
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