THE Malaysian Government and the United States are working towards creating a safer environment for Malaysians, Americans and tourists.
The US ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir said Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had a discussion with the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington recently pertaining to the United States Visa Waiver Programme (VWP).
“Hopefully, there is a recommitment on both sides that we could return to some of the work we were doing that are related to border security initiatives and information sharing initiatives that build towards the visa waiver,” she responded to a question from the floor during the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) dialogue at E&O Hotel Penang today.
“Many Malaysians, including the Malaysian Government, focus on the visa refusal rate. This is something that is publicly known and is very easy to understand.
“But, that’s not all if a country is to enter the VWP. There are many (other) aspects such as border security, passport security and information sharing.
“All these things that we could do together would increase the security for Malaysians, Americans and other people; in terms of aviation security and border security.
“We are working on all these to create a safer environment for Malaysians and Americans. It would also lead to pushing forward that someday, potentially, Malaysia joining the VWP,” she said.
Lakhdhir, however, felt that Malaysians would not be granted the visa-waiver status by the US in the near future.
She explained that no country had joined the VWP programme in the last almost three years.
She encouraged Malaysians who are considering travelling to the US, to apply for tourist visas.
“It is easy for people to apply. You do not need a set plan. Don’t wait until you know a date or until you get an airplane ticket.
“We issue 10-year visa, so apply and get your visa to ease your travel,” she said.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis