The government will tighten enforcement against the misuse of visitor visas and business permits to ensure that the country's economic opportunities continue to be enjoyed by local people.
The move was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, following growing concerns about the involvement of foreigners in business activities that are not in line with their entry requirements to Malaysia.
According to him, there are a few individuals who enter the country using tourist visas or social visit passes, but take advantage of them to conduct business without legal permission.
This situation not only violates immigration laws, but also creates unhealthy competition for local traders who comply with regulations and pay taxes.
He explained that the issue does not only involve large-scale businesses, but also affects the micro, small and medium enterprise (PMKS) sector.
Among the businesses identified include food stalls, coffee shops, vehicle repair workshops, air conditioning services and business activities at wholesale markets.
He stressed that the government cannot compromise with any party that abuses visa facilities or business licenses to gain illegal profits.
Therefore, business registration requirements will be tightened, including the requirement to have a permanent business address to prevent business activities from operating in a non-transparent manner.
At the same time, strict action will also be taken against license or permit holders found to be abusing the approvals granted.
The government will also crack down on the practice of using the names of local citizens to register businesses that are actually controlled or owned by foreigners, which is considered a form of fraud.
To ensure more effective enforcement, the government will implement an integrated operation involving various agencies including the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), local authorities (PBT), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Bank Negara Malaysia and the Malaysian Immigration Department.
Through this collaboration, every aspect related to license compliance, tax payments, monitoring of financial transactions, e-commerce platform operations and immigration status will be monitored comprehensively.
The move is seen as the government's effort to ensure that the country's business ecosystem is fairer, more transparent and benefits local entrepreneurs.
The government believes that stricter enforcement actions can protect the interests of local traders from unfair competition, as well as ensure that every individual or company doing business in Malaysia complies with the laws set.
At the same time, the people will continue to be informed about the government's efforts to combat the abuse of visas and business permits which can affect the country's economy.
