MINISTRY PROPOSES PENALTY ON MALAYSIANS WHO ABUSE TRAVEL FACILITY IN UK

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 11 (Bernama) -- The Foreign Ministry will propose to the Cabinet to impose a penalty on Malaysians who abuse the six-month visa-free travel in the United Kingdom by overstaying.

Its minister Dr Rais Yatim said the penalty would be imposed on them upon
their return to this country as a deterrent to them.

He said the move was in response to the UK government's decision not to
introduce visa requirement for Malaysian passport holders which it had mulled
over. The decision was conveyed by Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) in a statement
on Monday.

"The penalty, however, does not involve Malaysian students studying in the
UK as they are given a special approval," he told reporters, here, Tuesday.

He, however, did not elaborate on the kind of penalty to be imposed or the
amount involved.

In another development, Rais said his ministry would study before making a
decision on the request by Tamils in the country that the government send
humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, which is facing a humanitarian crisis as a result
of clashes between Sri Lankan government forces and the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam.

Rais had earlier received a memorandum on the need for the government to
send humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka.

The memorandum was handed over to him by Human Resource Minister Dr S.
Subramaniam who was accompanied by several Indian community leaders.
-- BERNAMA