A view of Kuala Lumpur’s skyline in Malaysia, May 30, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Malaysia has recorded a rise in cases of foreign tourists abusing Social Visit Passes to work or conduct business illegally over the past two years, its Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
The Immigration Department has detected a growing number of visitors entering the country as tourists before taking up employment or engaging in commercial activities, Malay Mail reported.
Saifuddin revealed that some foreign nationals have been found conducting business activities by partnering with local individuals and operating under locally registered licenses, despite not holding valid business passes, The Star newspaper reported.
Malaysia’s Social Visit Pass allows foreign nationals to enter the country for tourism or to visit relatives for short-term stays ranging from 14 to 90 days, but it strictly prohibits employment or business activities.
Saifuddin was responding to questions about the government’s decision to establish a task force, coordinated by the Ministry of Finance, to address the misuse of Social Visit Passes.
“If arrests are made, the existing laws will be fully enforced and due legal process will follow. While we welcome tourists and visitors, they must comply with Malaysian laws,” he said.
Malaysia’s tourism sector recorded 42.2 million visitors in 2025, an 11.2% year-on-year increase and 20.4% higher than 2019 benchmarks, making it the most visited country in Southeast Asia.
Comments are closed.