SOMETIMES it is a matter of laughing over politicians who harp on issues that have been addressed just two days earlier.
At times, this can also be embarrassing, especially when thousands of tourists are visiting the country from China and India and wonder why our politicians are not talking sense.
But this is all a tell-tale sign of the quality of Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs, more so when they are none other than the so-called senior opposition representatives of the people. One only wonders what if these same people have a chance to seize Putrajaya in the next national polls.
Picking on tourists from China and India, Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal has harped on the Malaysian Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) system which is one of five main initiatives to improve Immigration Department services.
The MDAC is in line with the implementation of the Visa Liberalisation Plan (PLV) which grants 30-day visa exemption for tourists from China and India starting from Dec 1 last year.
Can you believe it?
The latest hullabaloo came from none other than Ahmad Fayhsal who raised the issue again after a netizen going by the moniker ‘Joker (@BadBoy2662) ticked off a “PN Cytro” over the same issue just less than 24 hours earlier.
The Joker quoted the Immigration director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh who had earlier on May 4 addressed the issues about security checks and accommodation addresses for all foreign tourists.
Ketua Pengarah Imigresen SUDAH jawab SEMALAM kol 10pagi.
Harini cytro PN main balik isu.
Inilah masalahnya.
Ko hidup dalam Telegram, Whatsapp ko jer, tak reti nak Google benda simple pastu kantoi bodoh jer 😂.Congrats..
Anda sudah masuk list kami.
Gudlak 😎 https://t.co/MUYoMtoOY8 pic.twitter.com/Emzzc4uIsf— JOKER🔺️ (@BadBoy2662) May 5, 2024
“The mandatory compliance with the MDAC for all travellers entering Malaysia is still in place,” Ruslin had emphasised. “The MDAC system records the whereabouts of visitors and allows the Immigration Department to trace their location if needed, especially for enforcement purposes.”
The Immigration Department makes no mistake about it. If the MDAC system records the addresses of every tourist on arrival, it means that the department already has the accommodation addresses on record.
In fact, the proactive Ruslin went a step further by saying that the authorities are not throwing caution to the wind as recording and verifying the biometrics is still in effect at all entry points nationwide, hence any foreign tourist who is blacklisted or on the watchlist would be detected and prevented from entering Malaysia.
In short, there is no relaxation on border securities or other forms of law enforcement for Indian and Chinese tourists despite being automatically given a 30-day visa exemption.
Apparently, Ahmad Fayhsal brought up the issues on security checks and later on accommodation address which was apparently based on a post by opposition-slant netizen Demi Negara (@Kuasaaliens) on May 5. Henceforth, this is a case of the blind leading the blind.
Storm in a tea cup?
As a parliamentarian, one would Ahmad Fayhsal or his team to carry out a fact check before kicking up a big fuss over a non-issue.
If anything, it is time for Ahmad Fayhsal to learn that being in the Opposition does not mean harping on everything that the government does, especially initiatives that are good for the country.
Doing what he is doing lately shows that Ahmad Fayhsal is far from the mark of being a useful right-hand man for Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
It makes one wonder why and how Ahmad Fayhsal who is also the PN deputy chief could have missed the important report published in Bernama and a number of other news portals or was he merely shooting off his mouth?
Hopefully, Ahmad Fayhsal can grow out of his youthfulness. – April 7, 2024
Main image credit: mStar
