Mr. Sivasuriyamoorthy Sundara Raja, Executive Director, Investment Promotion, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) with TOP Beraten Managing Director, Miriam Shastri
The One Stop Centre (OSC) comprises three main components. A OSC committee made up of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the Immigration department and the Ministry of Health Malaysia will evaluate and consider applications from business travellers in three working days. They will be open five days a week.
Mr. Sivasuriyamoorthy Sundara Raja, Executive Director, Investment Promotion, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) with TOP Beraten Managing Director, Miriam Shastri
MIDA – One-Stop Centre for Business Travellers
The spread of Covid-19 would negatively affect global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) unless steps are taken to mitigate this crisis. From January 2020 to June 2020, Malaysia recorded a total of RM64.8 billion in approved investments. Of these FDI made up RM19.5 billion (30.2%).
In order to expedite the approval for business travellers to Malaysia, the government established a One
Stop Centre (OSC) to eliminate red tape.
Why create a One-Stop Centre?
According to Mr. Sivasuriyamoorthy Sundara Raja, Executive Director, Investment Promotion, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), one of the main criteria in considering a One-Stop-Center was the impact of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) on the country’s GDP.
It usually takes 12-18 months to implement manufacturing projects after receiving approval. It takes time for factories to be built and products to be exported. In 2020, Malaysia had 436 manufacturing projects with participation from foreign investors worth RM52.7 billion (€11.57 billion).
Last year alone, Malaysia approved 1000 manufacturing projects with foreign participation. However, some of the projects were unable to be implemented because the business owner needed to be on the ground to finalise certain things.
This year, Malaysia received RM47.7 billion (€9.16 billion) of investments which will be evaluated in the coming months. “If we don’t allow business travelers to come in, we will have serious problems in reviving the economy,” explained Mr. Sivasuriyamoorthy.
This was the case that MIDA put forward to the Economic Action Council (EAC). In order to ensure EAC decisions are properly implemented, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Economic Planning Unit, Prime Minister’s Department (EPU) are the EAC’s Joint Secretariat.
What is the structure of the One-Stop Centre?
It consists of three components.
First, is the OSC committee to evaluate and approve all applications for business travelers to come into Malaysia. Usually, all applications are done through MYEntry or MyTravelPass system under the Immigration Department of Malaysia and evaluated by them.
But under the One Stop Committee headed by MIDA with representatives from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Immigration Department, the OSC would evaluate around 60 to 70 applications daily. The committee has been evaluating applications from October 2, 2020.
The approval process under the OSC now takes three working days. The second OSC component is the Business Travellers Centre (BTC) that has facilities including helpful officers and a Covid-19 testing lab to ease the entry of business travellers via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
The third element of the OSC is a website with relevant updated information is also set-up to help qualified business travelers enter the country. As of 20 November, 2020, the OSC committee has evaluated 2243 applications from long-term business travellers. Among the received applications, 2146 were approved and 97 applications were not considered for entry due to various factors.
Among the applications received, 55% were under the Professional Visit Pass category, and 45% were under the Employment Pass category. The OSC Committee evaluates and approves two types of applications, namely Long Term Business Travellers and Short Term Business Travellers.
A website with relevant updated information is also set-up to help qualified business travelers enter the country.
As of 20 November, 2020, the OSC committee has evaluated 2243 applications from long-term business travellers. Among the received applications, 2146 were approved and 97 applications were not considered for entry due to various factors.
Among the applications received, 55% were under the Professional Visit Pass category, and 45% were under the Employment Pass category.
The OSC Committee evaluates and approves two types of applications, namely Long Term Business Travellers and Short Term Business Travellers.
1) Long Term Business Travellers
The Long Term Business Travellers who are required to submit the application via MYEntry system at https://myentry.myxpats.com.my are as follows:
a. New/Existing expatriates stranded abroad, namely active pass holders of the EP and Resident Pass-Talent (RP-T).
b. New/Existing foreign technical experts stranded abroad with Professional Visit Pass (PVP) to serve multiple customers across Malaysia
c. Frequent foreign business travellers (Exit & Return) including RE/RO/PH representatives.
The Long Term Business Travellers who are required to apply via MyTravelPass system at https://mtp.imi.gov.my/myTravelPass/main are as follows:
a. Permanent Resident (PR) Pass Holders
b. Malaysia My 2nd Home (MM2H) Social Visit Pass Holders
c. Frequent Malaysian business travellers (Exit & Return)
d. Social Visit Pass Holders
2) Short Term Business Travellers
The category of Short Term Business Travellers comprises of:
a. Potential investors seeking to do business in Malaysia
b. Existing investors namely business owners, board members, executives and associates of companies in Malaysia (without Employment Pass)
c. Business customers for product qualification and validation before commercial production
d. Technical experts for ad-hoc emergency cases to serve single or multiple customers across Malaysia
The request for a support letter by Short Term Business Travellers can be emailed to osccom@mida.gov.my by providing the following information:
a. Invitation letter (from Ministry/Government Agency/Company registered in Malaysia)
b. Detailed Itinerary
c. Copy of Passport ID Page (coloured) all travellers must obtain relevant visas (if applicable) from the respective Malaysian Embassy or High Commission or Consulate General Offices abroad prior to their departure to Malaysia.
For general enquiries, please contact the OSC Secretariat at osccom@mida.gov.my or +603-2267 3633/3431. Their office address is OSC Secretariat (Industry Talent Management and Expatriate Division) Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Level 20, MIDA Sentral 5, Jalan Stesen Sentral 5 Kuala Lumpur Sentral 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
