MIDA: M’sia still attracting business travellers amid pandemic

MALAYSIA is still opening its door to high potential investors and business travellers in its quest to attract more investments into the country, thus sustaining its position as a preferred investment destination in the region.

In this regard, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) revealed that a total of 2,564 business travellers have applied to come to Malaysia as of Nov 27 with another 2,448 being recommended for approval.

“These business travellers include businessmen and technical experts who provide technical advisory services and installation commissioning of the machinery and equipment,” the investment promotion and development agency pointed out in a progress report.

The effort is part of MIDA’s approach to attract more investments into Malaysia and sustain the nation’s position as the preferred investment destination of the region.

On Oct 2, a one-stop centre (OSC) was established to ease the movement business travellers by expediting their approval entry to do business in Malaysia.

The OSC committee will evaluate two types of business travellers as follows:

  • Long-term business travellers whose stay in the country is more than 14 days
  • Short-term business travellers whose length of stay is 14 days or less.

The OSC committee will meet and evaluate applications on five working days a week, with decision made within three working days upon receiving complete information.

However, MIDA reiterated that it would not compromise on safety, citing strict regulations imposed on the business travellers to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases in Malaysia.

Therefore, the investment authority is working closely with the Immigration Department and Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd, to enhance the MyEntry System and facilitate the entry permission applications for business travellers.

“This includes the establishment of a Business Traveller Centre (BTC) at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport which will provide the services of duty officers/liaison officers and a COVID-19 testing laboratory; and a dedicated website containing information and advisory services to facilitate the entry of business travellers into Malaysia.

“An announcement will be issued soon upon the completion of the BTC,” added MIDA.

Currently, the agency is in consultation with business travellers from 136 potential multinational companies that will require the support of the OSC. – Nov 30, 2020.

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