KAZAN: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the implementation of visa-free travel arrangements for Russian tourists to Malaysia should be expedited as part of efforts to revitalise the country's tourism sector.
The prime minister said Malaysia must be willing to move beyond outdated bureaucratic practices and should not be overly concerned about unilateral sanctions imposed by certain countries.
He said that the disparity was striking, with five million Russian tourists annually visiting Turkiye and two million visiting Thailand, while only about 100,000 tourists from the country chose Malaysia as their holiday destination.
"These are two countries which are close to us, so why is it only 100,000 Russians visit Malaysia?
"There are issues related to air connectivity and payment systems — particularly the methods of payment — which make things very difficult. Sometimes, we become too attached to old, outdated procedures and are overly concerned about how certain other countries might respond or react negatively.
"Why does it happen (in Malaysia) but not in Turkiye? They (Turkiye) is a member of Nato and have good relations with Europe and the United States (which are currently at odds with Russia).
"Thailand continues to have good relations with Russia. Why doesn't it happen (in Malaysia), we don't give the appropriate facilities to
"Thailand, on the other hand, has managed to maintain good relations. Why is this not happening for Malaysia, and why are we not providing the appropriate facilitation to Russia or Iran in this regard?"
Anwar was speaking to reporters after completing his two-day visit here.
"We are an independent country, and we speak of Asean centrality. Of course, we are aware of those sensitivities. We will not violate what has been stated or what has been agreed upon.
"Naturally, we have respect for those commitments. If they are international sanctions imposed by the United Nations, then yes, we will comply.
"But, we should not be overly concerned about unilateral sanctions imposed by certain countries," he said.
Anwar said, to address these constraints, he has already discussed the matter with the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, to lead decisive action in the upcoming cabinet meeting.
"I brought this matter up to the cabinet a few years ago, but we are still stuck. So I have discussed it with Johari and Akmal; perhaps we will take early steps in the upcoming cabinet meeting to review it and move forward directly.
"We will give it a few weeks and resolve the matter completely," he said. - FMT
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