Malaysia ready to welcome international tourists back

Passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on March 9. (Photo: XINHUA/VNA)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Immigration services at entry points will be back to their pre-pandemic strength in anticipation of large crowds of travelers and an influx of foreign workers as the country reopens its borders on April 1, Malaysia's Immigration Department Director-General Khairul Dzaimee Daud said.

Counters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and other entry points will operate around the clock beginning on April 1, he told a press conference on March 30, adding that Malaysia wants to make sure everything goes smoothly and efficiently, without letting visitors wait too long.

Khairul said that between March 1 and 28, a total of 84,915 international passports were issued, which is a strong indication that Malaysians are eager to travel after being unable to do so since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

He expected the number of passport applications to increase during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri in May, one of the biggest holidays in Malaysia, when many more countries open their borders.

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the police force is also ready for the reopening of borders.

As with other agencies, they have made ample preparations, especially at the northern and southern borders in Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak, he told reporters at the Defence Services Asia and National Security Asia 2022 exhibitions on March 29./.