PETALING JAYA: Culinary industry players are calling for the long-term social visit passes for international students to be expanded to include more Asean countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
With Malaysia’s culinary industry gaining international recognition through the Bib Gourmands, Michelin Selected and Michelin Stars awards, they said the country can go further by allowing more international students to take up short-term jobs.
General manager of Sunway Le Cordon Bleu, Ming Ho (pic) said a bigger opportunity awaits Malaysia in having its unique dishes showcased and appreciated all over the world.
“Our students come from different countries. If they get to work and gain more knowledge about our cuisines in Malaysia, they will one day go back to their home countries and cook our food there.
“We will have more Malaysian restaurants around the world and what a great thing that will be if we get to showcase our culture worldwide.
“This is why we need these students to learn here in Malaysia. Otherwise, they could go to other countries, learn their dishes and spread the word about other cuisines instead of ours,” she said in an interview.
Le Cordon Bleu is considered today the largest network of culinary and hospitality schools in the world with more than 35 institutes in 20 countries and 20,000 students of over 100 nationalities are trained every year.
Le Cordon Bleu combines innovation and creativity with tradition through its certificates, diplomas, bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
In his Budget 2024 speech, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim indicated the introduction of new initiatives under the visa liberalisation plan.
This would include introducing long-term social visit pass for international students in Malaysia who have graduated to meet industrial skilled personnel needs.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in November that Malaysia will offer long-term social visit passes for up to one year to international students but only from 23 low-risk nations.
The countries are Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and the United States.
Ming said most of her students are from Indonesia and it is regretful that the government had not included the neighbouring country in the list.
“Each of our students has to pay about RM120,000 in fees a year to study here, which means they are from well-to-do families.
“Our Indonesian students are not here because they don’t have a choice but because they chose to be here,” she said, urging the government to include Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
A culinary graduate from Sunway Le Cordon Bleu, Chris Binarto Wongso, who is from Indonesia, welcomed the government’s announcement in providing the visa extension but appealed for more perks.
He is hopeful that Indonesia will be included in the list, saying that culinary students need more than just classroom knowledge.
“Graduates need more exposure because what we studied is different from being in a real kitchen. We need guidance to find our ways in the food and beverage world,” he said.
