BEIJING: China's decision to extend the visa exemption period for Malaysian tourists from 15 to 30 days will benefit Malaysian entrepreneurs, especially those involved in the country's handicrafts and textiles.
Malaysian Crafts Council (MCC) founding president and executive director Nik Faiz Nik M Amin said that he welcomed the initiative as the industry players had difficulty getting visas to China before.
"Sometimes we have to visit China on an ad hoc basis. It was very difficult for us to get visa approval before. With the extension to 30 days, it makes us even happier, because China is a big country and it allows us to visit several places,” he told Bernama.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic ties.
On Friday (May 31), Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that China had agreed to extend the Malaysian tourist visa exemption period from 15 to 30 days.
He said that the agreement was reached during his courtesy call on Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday and implementation will be made after the agreement on the matter is signed during the premier’s visit to Malaysia this month.
Nik Faiz, a batik entrepreneur through his brand, Ruzzgahara, which is based in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, said that he has been discovering the Chinese market for the past eight years through his batik products.
"The market in China is huge. Although China is one of the largest silk producers in the world, their demand (for silk batik) is very large, and the purchasing power is very high. It would open up opportunities for me to expand into various crafts further,” he added.
In addition to batik, Nik Faiz also sees the potential of Malaysian handicraft products, such as woven textiles and songket, in China, because both have a wide demand, even though there are almost similar Chinese products in the market.
"They accept the variety, not only (products) in their own country, but also from Malaysia,” he added.
Meanwhile, art activist Arja Lee, is of the view that the 30-day visa exemption is something which should be maintained by the two countries.
"For me, it is access for more Malaysians to visit China regularly, not only for vacation, but also to diversify cooperation between Malaysia and China,” he added.- Bernama
