PRESS STATEMENT

THE SIGNING CEREMONY OF

THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ON ENHANCING COOPERATION IN PREVENTING AND COMBATING SERIOUS CRIME

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR

19 NOVEMBER 2015

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Malaysia and the United States of America have inked the Agreement between the Government of Malaysia and the Government of the United States of America on Enhancing Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Serious Crime (PCSC). The PCSC Agreement is one of the two important documents, in addition to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive No.6 (HSPD-6) Arrangement. Both documents are vital prerequisites for Malaysias participation into the US Visa Waiver Program (US VWP).

The U.S. VWP enables Malaysians to travel to the US without visa for 90 days for tourism and business purposes. To date, 38 nations are participants of the US VWP including two (2) ASEAN member countries namely; Singapore and Brunei Darussalam.

Malaysia and the US have already signed the HSPD-6 Arrangement on 8 October 2015. The document was signed between the Hon. Dato Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Senator John Kerry, US Secretary of State in Washington DC.

The HSPD-6 allows for the exchange of biographic information of known and suspected terrorists while the PCSC focus on the cooperation in detection, prevention and investigation of serious crime more effectively.

In addition to the two (2) signed documents, Malaysia is in the process of meeting other related requirements concerning the admission to the US VWP such as ensuring the visa refusal rate by Malaysians entering the United States must not exceed 3%, in which the rate is currently at 4.58% and also to adhere to the reporting of Lost and Stolen Travel Documents (LSTD) to the INTERPOL on daily basis within 24 hours.

Upon fulfilling all the US statutory requirements, physical auditing of Malaysia entry and exit points will be done by the US Department of Homeland Security before Malaysia can be fully accepted into the US VWP. In this relation, the imminent implementation of the Advance Passenger Screening System (APSS) is to complement the screening of inbound travellers into the country as well as outbound travellers. Additionally, Malaysia is also in the midst of transforming the Immigration Department through the National Immigration and Border Control System (SKIN).