Friday November 6, 2009

VOA policy to stay, says Abu Seman

THE Government has no plans to stop issuing visas on arrival (VOA) to tourists as it was created to boost the tourism industry, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop yesterday.

Through the visa, he said, visitors were allowed to be in the country from 14 days to three months.

Replying to a question from Aziz Ab Kadir (Ketereh - PKR) he said the VOA policy would remain despite the fact that the bulk of visitors who overstayed had been issued this type of entry permit.

“According to statistics from 2006 to August 2009, a total of 28% of those issued VOA or 75,462 people had overstayed,” he said, prompting Abd Aziz to question the Government’s priorities when it came to safeguarding the security of the country.

“What is the Government’s stand? It seems like the Government places more importance on the income derived from tourism,” Abd Aziz said.

Abu Seman explained that the Government had already taken steps to safeguard the country’s security.

“We have excluded visitors from a few countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and also India from the VOA ruling as they made up the biggest number of those who regularly overstay,” he said.

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