Sunday, July 13, 2008

Risky Malaysian Visitors...

Not that I will be visiting Britain anytime soon. But I am offended that we Malaysians are considered by Britain to be very risky visitors -- oh you know -- prone to criminal acts of overstaying, (passport) fraud, and terrorism.

Malaysia is one of the 11 countries warned by the British government that their citizens need visas to visit the UK unless they "significantly reduce" the risk they pose.

Malaysia is in the good company of Brazil, Namibia, South Africa, Venezuela, Bolivia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Swaziland, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Britain's Home Office report identifies bogus passports, criminal acts and terrorism as possible risks posed by visitors.

(source:BBC News)

However, Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim will be meeting senior British officials in London on Tuesday to present Malaysia's case -- to exempt Malaysians from applying for visa.

Rais is taking advantage of the six-month grace period to make things right, before the decision is final.

Britain's decision was made on the basis of cases of Malaysians found to be abusing their entry permits and overstaying.

Rais said that British Foreign Secretary David Miliband had alerted him during a bilateral meeting in May to the problem.

Miliband had said a total of 1,524 Malaysians violated British laws, for offences which included overstaying, credit card fraud, illegal employment and other crimes.

I suppose, the rest of us are being punished for those bad apples....

17 comments:

DIASPORA said...

There must be something more sinister in the policy that the UK proposes to adopt inregard to Malaysiians visiting the UK. There are thousands of Honkies; East Europeans, Africans etc hiding in all the dark corridors and streets of UK but they are gladly accepted as useful citizens.

I think that this has something to do with the phobia that pervades the UK and EU nowdays about 'militant Islamic groups' and since Malaysians have shown a few to be in this sort of group it would have been decided in Whitehall to stop the rot in the British Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The British are 'masters' in this game and I doubt that our venerable Minister is going to get any blessings from Whitehall but may be pursuaded to give in extra on some other aspect to UK in response to the UK agreeing to 'watch' over the situation fora longer period.

In the meantime the 'nincompoops' at the Immigration, Customs and Security services are going to give intending visitors to the UK a miserable time. The 'nincompoops' know nothing about the 'policy' of Whitehall because nowadays most of those you find at Heathrow etc are imported Gujeratis, Pakistanis etc who will ask you 'How long do you intend to stay in the UK, Sir.'

They will not tell you how long they will be staying in the UK. Let us hope that Malaysians are not overly tortured at the Gates when entering od leaving the UK. It would be safer to avoid going to UK if you have no bloody business there of great importance.

Anonymous said...

Not only GB on visas... try Japan now..one of our biggest trade partners...one can only get single entry visa unless you have an invite from a Japanese company..in the form of an original letter, no fax now..

..in short, Malaysians that are affiliated to an MNC or working with them are now in a dilemma when visiting Japan in short notice...

Who is to be blamed? The ruling government for their weakness in negotiation or our callous citizens...

Anonymous said...

Oh that's sucks. Why are we made to pay the price of those imbeciles? But I never like the UK anyway so I don't think I would give a hoot on this matter. Just feel offended that we seem not welcomed anywhere especially the US and now the UK. How come China and India are not in the list? What's next? Banning us from coming?

My Advice to those idiots who overstayed is that next time try with the political asylum excuse.

To the ones involved in criminal activities just spare us the trouble and rid yourself.Honestly this is embarassing, everybody thinks we are a group of con people and crooks.

DARI HULU said...

Ikut cara Rocky, visit British last. Setuju?

Anonymous said...

Dear Nuraina,

We cannot blame the British Govt from blacklisting countries whose citizens are prone to overstaying or working illegally. It is only in Malaysia, particularly here in Sabah that we have the most illegal immigrants. South Africa, once a safe country,is flooded with illegal immigrants from Nigeria. Everywhere you go, some kind people would advise you "to be careful" and "Don't go out at night" Do you want to go to a country like this?

Jimmy

Old Fart said...

Guess what our Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim is going to be telling the senior British Government Officials? See, we have arrested the culprits responsible for this, the Director General of Immigrations together with his deputy. How much more do you want?

Well, maybe they may not ask the last question la. If UK standards are to be followed our Home minster has to resign. Now that does not happen does it?

Just read Huzir Sulaiman's "Why do ours never resign?" in todya's Sunday Star.(http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/7/13/lifefocus/1575681&sec=lifefocus)

wak segen said...

Ena,
As a matter of info and not trying to raise a racial issue here, are there any statistics of the racial composition of the 1524 Malaysian offenders.
From there maybe we will know why the offences are committed and how to address them.

Anonymous said...

I know Malaysians who work illegally in the UK after overstaying their visas or after a supposed tourist trip.

It's probably right to feel insulted, but I notice that we seem to see Indonesians in sort of the same light, well at least in my circle of friends anyway.

Of course, it's always the bad apples that spoil it for the rest of us, which also applies to the Indonesians here in Malaysia, they get a bad name because of the ones that come illegally and stuff.

Srikanth Siva said...

Why do we impose visa restrictions on our friendly Indonesian neighbor?

Anonymous said...

This is a great dent to the image of Malaysia, not that we have any image left to protect after all the ' rear end' politics that have been sweeping the country.

Anyway it is felt that UK is being harsh on this matter. First they have to clean up the hoardes of illegals ( Pakistanis, Indians, Banglas, Honkies, Africans) who pose a greater threat to UK than the Malaysians and who probably create more social problems to the British. UK should have a white look, now it is contaminated with pollutants from South Asia and Africa and the EU.

Yes, not to forget the so called 'locals' from Punjab, Lahore etc who greet you at the Heathrow Immigration Points with the artificial upper lip who give you a superior glance at the new arrivals with impertinence. Goodness gracious me !

Whatever it is, the powers to be in Malaysia have degenerated the country and you have a long trail to cover before you refix the flagpole at the summit, or at least somewhere midway.

Anonymous said...

Why all the uppityness reaction about this visa requirement by UK?
Wont we do the same for those whose citizens come here and overstay and do so blatantly?
It the naturral thing for the British to do!
We are just so carried away now that we are 50 years old and think that we have progressed...but nay it is strictly not the case.
We think we have progressed but do we even for a start treat our animals/pets kindly.
There you go...we are so far behind.
Our own forests(flora-fauna) are being decimated by greediness!!
As the great Gandhi said " the greatness of a country and its people can be known by how they treat their animals".
Gatekeeper.

Anonymous said...

This has always been the case from the time I can remember... What else is new?

I remember my cousin got grilled by the Brits immigration when we went to London.. I did not but she did.. and she had to show her credit cards, money and hotel reservation. At the end, the whole bag was thrown out for them to see that we actually have enough to eat, sleep, shop and sight seeing.. The only allowed my cousin to enter when my daughter kept making noise.. hungry la, tired la, want to pee la..

Anonymous said...

The GB minister will tell rais, "
look, mr minister of bolehland, at your nation : sodomy, corruptions,
parliament like wet market, mp like kera, APs scandals, anus susceptable, mongolian girl got c4ed,lipsticks cannot, skirts abit short cannot...this cannot that cannot...this can & that ALSO can
...tell me how to simply let your type of people come here to hide ah.. tell me lah !!"

Anonymous said...

my dream was to visit UK one day. now i have to pay for Visa? gee, its cheaper to give up the malaysian passport than to pay for visa.
sigh...

Anonymous said...

Not only UK consider Malaysia as high risk but also USA and I bet more country in the west. So, don't act suprise even though we are the watch dog for US on terrorism in SEA. They trust Singapore more than Malaysia if you ask me.

Lagenda said...

Yesterday I was on the receiving end of what I suspect is a backlash to my government’s complaint to the Malaysian Governments about overstaying and working illegally. I half suspected a tit for tat response from the immigration authorities in Malaysia. On arrival at Langkawi Airport I was taken out of line at the immigration desk to an interview room. The senior officer in charge asked my why I was coming and going to Langkawi. I had just spend four months of the summer in UK and I was coming back to spend the winter in a warmer climate with my local friends. I am 65 and retired. The immigration officer wanted to give me a two weeks visa. I made a bit of a fuss reminding him that a visitor visa was three months. In the end he very reluctantly gave me a three month visa but told me that this was the last time and I would have to leave at the end of three months and not come back. When I asked how long I would have to stay away he would not give me a straight answer. I was rather angry over this because I had bought an apartment with the government’s approval and I had applied for Malaysia my second home in 2006 when it came under the immigration department. I did everything that was required of me at that time put RM150,000 as a bond in a local bank. During the five months that my application was being processed the Tourist Board took over the Malaysia my second home programme and changed the rules setting the bar so high that only the very rich would be able to meet their requirements. My application was refused on the grounds that my bond money was OK by my pension of RM 8,000 a month was not enough for me as a single man to live on in Langkawi. I am now faced with having to sell my apartment and furnishings and leave Malaysia by the end of December not knowing when I will ever be allowed back in. This is not the hospitality that I have enjoyed in Malaysia these past three winters and all because of the tit for tat wrangling of two governments.
I am a victim caught in the cross fire.

Izam said...

I think it's only natural for UK government to react towards illegal immigrant who flout their entry into the country. This is to show that they do have their soverignty and they will uphold it. I just wish that the Malaysian govt would follow suit. Like all govts, UK will not prohibit entry into the country if one's intention is to only visit. There are some who says that the UK's reaction is to ward off extremism and what not but I think main thing here is to restrict people who overwelcome their stay solely for the purpose of making money and this people really tarnish UK's view on Malaysians as a whole. UK's reaction is also warranted as it is better to react on the problem in the bud before it goes overwhelmingly problematic. Good example is in Malaysia itself whereby there are an estimated 2 million illegal immigrants and I think the Govt itself is slow on acting to restrict an influx of illegal immigrants. Last but not least, note that the main bulk of people overstaying in UK from Malaysia are the Chinese Malaysian.