M'sia implements new visa application process for visitors coming through S'pore

Travel consultants in Singapore were caught unawares last Thursday when the High Commission of Malaysia issued a notice on the appointment of Third Link as its one-stop visa application vendor in the country, effective today.


The notice informed the travel agencies that the High Commission of Malaysia would no longer be accepting visa applications “directly from agents” from October 19. In a subsequent email, Third Link indicated that it would impose a S$20 (US$16) service fee per visa application.

Travel consultants whom TTG Asia spoke to lamented the fact that neither Tourism Malaysia nor the High Commission of Malaysia had given adequate warning or explanation for the change in visa application standards.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a sales and marketing manager of a Singapore-based inbound operator that often handles trip extensions to Johor and other parts of Malaysia, said: “I wish the relevant authorities had given us a heads up before this happened, and at least tell us why this change is necessary and how it is supposed to benefit our customers, especially since they will have to pay two layers of service fees for visa application from now on.”

The manager added: “When the visa application was handled by us, we would charge the customer S$20 plus the visa fee levied by the High Commission of Malaysia. Now, to help the customer collect, prepare and deliver visa application documents to Third Link, a task that takes time and manpower on our part, we would still have to charge a service fee on top of the amount demanded by Third Link and the High Commission of Malaysia.

“We have yet to determine how much our service fee will be, but it could be the same amount we used to charge. That means the traveller will have to pay more just to go over the border to look-see, and I expect such demand to fall once the new visa application process is implemented.”

According to Lotus Ooi, general manager of Konsortium Express & Tours, demand for day tours to Malaysia might take more of a hit than overnight programmes, but travellers who “really want to see Malaysia will have no choice but to pay the higher cost of getting a visa”. “More importantly, if the establishment of Third Link can ensure a quicker and smoother visa application process, customers will accept the higher fees. The processing time has been very vague. It can sometimes take more than a week, making it hard for travellers to book their tours for Malaysia,” she said.

When contacted, Ivan Hoong, a representative of Third Link, told TTG Asia that the company would strive to reduce the current seven-day processing norm to three days.
-TTG Asia.