Risky Malaysian

Mulai tahun hadapan, jika perbincangan antara Menteri Luar dan Pegawai Kanan di British tidak berjaya maka rakyat Malaysia yang hendak ke Britain, terpaksalah memohon visa terlebih dahulu.

Sebab pengenalan visa tersebut ialah berdasarkan rekod sebanyak 1,524 orang warga negara Malaysia ditahan kerana melanggar undang-undang negara tersebut. Pelanggaran undang-undang tersebut termasuklah tinggal melebihi tempoh melancong, penipuan kad kredit, bekerja secara haram dan pelbagai lagi kesalahan jenayah yang lain.

Malaysia is one of the 11 countries warned by the British government that their citizens need visas to visit the UK unless they "significantly reduce" the risk they pose. Malaysia is in the good company of Brazil, Namibia, South Africa, Venezuela, Bolivia, Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Swaziland, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Britain's Home Office report identifies bogus passports, criminal acts and terrorism as possible risks posed by visitors. However, Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim will be meeting senior British officials in London on Tuesday to present Malaysia's case -- to exempt Malaysians from applying for visa.

Rais is taking advantage of the six-month grace period to make things right, before the decision is final. Britain's decision was made on the basis of cases of Malaysians found to be abusing their entry permits and overstaying. Rais said that British Foreign Secretary David Miliband had alerted him during a bilateral meeting in May to the problem. Miliband had said a total of 1,524 Malaysians violated British laws, for offences which included overstaying, credit card fraud, illegal employment and other crimes.

(source:BBC News)