VISA FREE ENTRY TO MALAYSIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Malaysia recently joined the list of countries providing a visa-free facility to Indian nationals, a move aimed at promoting tourism and strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.

Key Points

• Passport Ranking: The Passport Index positions India at 137th in its latest global ranking.
• Visa Requirements: Indian passport holders encounter visa requirements for entry into 123 countries, as per the Passport Index.
• Power Rank: India's Passport Power Rank, a distinct evaluation, is noted at 68 in the Passport Index.
• Henley Passport Index 2023, India Ranked: at the 80th position
• Visa-Free Entry: Angola, Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Macao, Mauritius, Micronesia, Nepal, Palestinian Territories, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Senegal, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Vanuatu, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Malaysia

• About: Malaysia, country of Southeast Asia, lying just north of the Equator
• Boundaries: Thailand and Brunei (north), Singapore (south), Indonesia (southwest).
• Malaysia consists of two non-contiguous regions:
• Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia) located in Malay Peninsula bordering South China Sea in the east.
• Malaysia Timur (East Malaysia) located on the Island of Borneo.
• Major Rivers: Pahang, Sarawak, Rajang, Kinabatangan.
• Highest Point: Mt Kinabalu (4100m).