Top advisory council to probe firm processing entry of Chinese tourists

A source says the Council of Eminent Persons is looking into claims of lopsided terms benefiting a local company processing applications by Chinese tourists.

Many Chinese tourists entering Malaysia prefer to use the eNTRI facility. However, concerns have been raised over its vetting process and the terms of agreement with the government. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The Council of Eminent Persons is set to probe a local company facilitating the processing of entry for Chinese tourists to Malaysia following claims of lopsided terms at the expense of the government, says a source.

Apart from the terms of the contract, the council is also expected to scrutinise the vetting process and identifying weaknesses in the system.

The source told FMT that the council would be looking at the Electronic Travel Registration and Information (eNTRI) facility which allows Chinese nationals to fill in an online application for permission to enter Malaysia.

According to the immigration website, eNTRI is provided by the government to facilitate the entrance of Chinese tourists under the Visa Waiver Programme. An eNTRI note is issued as proof of registration, and must be presented upon arrival in Malaysia.

The source said the online application process would usually take less than five minutes, and applicants only needed to show proof on the length of their stay in Malaysia.

“Why is our online process so simple, unlike for Malaysians wanting to go to China? They make sure no one poses a security risk to them. But why is our system so lenient?” he asked.

The source also said applicants were charged around RM100 for the processing of the visa application.

“The entire amount goes to the company,” he added.

Other than the eNTRI facility, Chinese nationals also have the option of applying for eVISA and the Sticker Visa. These options cost almost RM175 per application, and the government gets about RM50 from each application while the rest of the fee goes to the operators, the source said.

He said applicants preferred the eNTRI facility as it was cheaper and allowed them to submit their applications online.

“However, the vetting process is weak and we do not know how many return to China after their stay period ends,” he said, adding that existing data showed that more than 1.3 million Chinese nationals had entered the country through the eNTRI system.

The source said the council was also looking at the terms of the agreement as it was learnt that the company’s contract might have just been renewed for another five years.

The source said in 2016, the company processed 175,000 eNTRI applications which saw it earning RM18 million.

In 2017, it earned almost RM67 million from 695,434 applications.

The source said the council would likely seek an explanation from the company on the lopsided revenue sharing with the government.

The Immigration Department has yet to respond to FMT’s queries on the vetting system and the terms of payment agreed to with the previous government.

In 2016, former Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board chairman Wee Choo Keong said the visa-free policy for tourists from China to Malaysia had upset the Chinese visitors who were unhappy that they were being charged “excessive” processing fees.

He was also concerned that the high “processing fee” would negate the benefits of the visa-free concession and result in Chinese tourists giving the country a miss.

Wee had urged the government and the Immigration Department to rethink the system. -FMT

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