Malaysia: They Come As Tourists And Disappear

[george]

They come as tourists and disappear

KUALA LUMPUR: -- Some 50,000 Chinese nationals who entered Malaysia as tourists this year have not checked out and the authorities are stumped as to where they might be.

Several possibilities have surfaced in the wake of a major operation being planned to track them down — they could have been lured into vice or blended in with the locals before simply disappearing into the crowd. Or they could have used Malaysia as a transit to go to a third country, using forged passports.

"At this juncture, we are trying to ascertain if these Chinese tourists who entered the country on social visit passes are indeed still here," a source said.

Acknowledging the foreigners may have overstayed, what has raised concern was the possibility of their entering Malaysia legally, and later departing for a third destination, most likely in the West.

The 50,000 figure of "untraceables" was based on the number of visitor cards returned upon departure by tourists, which failed to tally with visa applications approved at the country of origin.

This was the second time such a predicament has come about.

Last year, Immigration authorities announced that the whereabouts of more than 250,000 Indian and Chinese nationals could not be ascertained.

In 2003, 500,000 Chinese entered the country and records showed 315,000 returned. In 2002, only 360,000 of the 537,000 Chinese tourists who arrived here returned home.

Despite stringent visa regulations imposed on Chinese nationals intending to visit Malaysia, some of the tourists have resorted to entering Malaysia using forged visas. And involvement in immoral activities has also raised eyebrows.

Figures for the year show Chinese nationals accounted for 50 per cent of the 4,900 foreign women nabbed for vice. This was followed by Indonesians (1,240), Thai (750) and Filipinas (550).

The remaining 350 foreign women picked up for vice included those from Uzbekistan and India.

The number of Chinese women picked up for vice showed a huge increase from the 190 five years ago.

(Last year, 1,821 Chinese women were among the 5,783 foreigners detained for vice.) And with some 700 Chinese women picked up in Selangor this year, entertainment outlets in the Klang Valley and seafood restaurants along the coastline continue to remain lucrative pick-up spots for these foreigners to ply their trade.

--nst.com.my 2005-11-21