Rais: Malaysia won’t ‘retaliate’ against UK visa ruling

Source TheStar

LONDON: Malaysia has no intention of retaliating against Britain even if a visa ruling was imposed on its nationals travelling to the country, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

He, however, said the government might be encouraged to tell Malaysian parents to look elsewhere if their children were continuously subjected to strict visa regimentation “without legal basis or fairness” in Britain.

“It’s not wrong for us to tell them to look for places like Australia, the United States or other European countries,” he told Malaysian journalists after hosting a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at Rumah Malaysia in Hampstead, north-west London, on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 guests, including three Asean ambassadors -- Edgardo B. Espiritu (the Philippines), Kitti Wasinondh (Thailand) and Yuri Octavian Thamrin (Indonesia) -- attended the event at the residence of Malaysian High Commissioner to Britain Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohamed.

Dr Rais, who was here on transit from New York where he attended the United Nations General Assembly, said he believed Britain would be fair enough in its treatment of Malaysian students and will re-examine the situation.

“If (Britain’s) findings are based on legal norms and practices, we should not take reciprocal steps,” he said in response to complaints of Malaysian students facing stringent visa regulations, especially post-graduate students who were facing problems in bringing their families to Britain.

The minister added he believed parents would still send their children to study in Britain despite the rigid system and rising costs of education.

Dr Rais admitted that Malaysia’s visa evaluation had been adversely affected following the latest report which placed the country as among the top five whose citizens are consistently being denied entry into Britain.

Based on Home Office statistics, Malaysians are also among the top 10 nationalities who overstay and in the top 20 for overall immigration abuses.

Britain is currently conducting the third and final stage of its visa-waiver test for Malaysia and 10 other countries and a decision is expected early next year.

Dr Rais said the requirements to avoid a visa regime change included Malaysia’s proof of a marked drop in the tendency to abuse visas and its ongoing public goodwill programmes.

“Those involved in visa abuses must be ready to own up and return to Malaysia,” he said, adding Malaysians must take stock of the laws of other countries.

He said he would make another representation to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband for a closer look at Malaysia’s efforts in curbing the propensity of visa abuse cases in Britain.

“Our only hope is that through diplomatic channels, the windows are opened for us to re-negotiate with the British authorities.”

Dr Rais hoped the conglomerate of viewpoints would be considered, granted that Malaysia was traditionally a close ally, a friend and a country that had been with Britain “through thick and thin.”