Visa extension for stranded Chinese visitors

KOTA KINABALU: The State Immigration Department has agreed to extend the visas of Chinese tourists to up to seven days upon expiry at the Department’s Headquarters in Kota Kinabalu. However, this is applicable only to those who arrived in Sabah before Jan. 31.

“Visas will be extended upon show of valid return tickets. And it was decided to waive the local guarantor requirement for FIT (Free and Independent Travellers) tourists. The visa extension fee of RM100 is still applicable,” said State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew (pic).

This was among measures following a special meeting on Monday to discuss the repatriation of Chinese tourists stranded in Sabah in the wake of the State’s travel ban imposed on China tourists duae to the coronavirus epidemic.

The relevant authorities included the Sabah Immigration Department, Malaysia Airports Berhad and relevant Airlines consisting of Malaysia Airlines Berhad, AirAsia, Malindo Air, Xiamen Airlines, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern/Shanghai airlines.

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She said the discussion focused mainly on two issues – the extension of visas that are expiring and travel arrangements to bring those affected back to cities in China other than Wuhan.

On assistance offered by airlines, Liew, who is also Deputy Chief Minister said the airlines concerned have agreed to waive cancellation fees for those whose flights were cancelled.

“There are also choices of re-booking flights to China via Kuala Lumpur. We advise stranded passengers to access the respective airlines’ websites for further information on available flights for their return journey,” she added.

According to the Minister, AirAsia is still operating flights from Kota Kinabalu to Shenzhen (14 times weekly), Guangzhou (seven times weekly), Hangzhou (five times weekly) and Kunming (twice weekly). Malaysia Airlines flies to Shanghai twice weekly while China Southern Airlines’ flights to Guangzhou end on Thursday (Feb 6).

On Monday, the Minister also chaired a meeting with tourism groups and health authorities where she was briefed on the coronavirus outbreak by the State Health Department’s Principal Assistant Director (Health Surveillance Unit), Dr Sahrol Nizam Bin Abu Bakar.

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Liew has directed STB to organise a briefing on the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) for immigration authorities, hoteliers, airlines, tour and travel agents, tour operators and tour guides as soon as possible.

“It is vital for all front-liners of the State’s tourism industry to be enlightened on the current situation, control and preventive measures being undertaken by the health authorities to ward off the viral infection,” she said.

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