Malaysia denies ban on Indians

But strict watch to be kept on arrivals

NEW DELHI: The Indian government breathed easy after a clarification by the Malaysian government in Kuala Lumpur clearing doubts over the working visas to Indian workers and professionals.

“The Malaysian government has emphatically denied any move to ban Indian workers and we have accepted their denial,” minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said during the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas function here on Wednesday.

However, Malaysian MPs on a tour here said that there was a plan to monitor Indian workforce arrivals in Malaysia.

Dr N. Raja Ram, a senator in the Malaysian Parliament, said a stricter watch would be kept on the number of Indians arriving in the country and their time of stay. This, he claimed, was to protect the interest of unskilled workers and to weed out illegal entrants smuggled into Malaysia by recruiting agencies in the garb of tourists.

The senator, however, was quick to clarify that there was no plan to ban recruitment of Indian professionals. However, the issue of six-year working visas (a three-year contract renewable for another three years) for professionals was being reviewed.

Under Malaysian law, a person residing in the country for more than six years can claim citizenship rights.