Malaysia tackles illegal foreign-owned firms, as regional crackdown widens

Malaysia has initiated a crackdown on illegal businesses operated by foreigners, aligning with a broader regional trend in Southeast Asia. This action comes amid growing local resentment towards such operations. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia, had implemented visa-free entry policies to boost their economies. However, Thailand recently revised its policy, removing 60-day visa-free entry for 93 countries. This change was a response to illegal company and citizenship acquisitions by foreigners and to limit foreign land ownership. Thailand has since introduced shorter visa exemptions for various countries.