Malaysia-Russia visa-free travel, direct flights should be expedited - Anwar

Anwar said the number of Russian tourists visiting Malaysia remained low compared with other countries that enjoy good relations with Moscow.

19 Jun 2026 10:54am
Visa-free travel facilities and direct flights between Malaysia and Russia need to be expedited to boost the number of Russian tourists visiting Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said. Photo by Bernama
Visa-free travel facilities and direct flights between Malaysia and Russia need to be expedited to boost the number of Russian tourists visiting Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said. Photo by Bernama

KAZAN - Visa-free travel facilities and direct flights between Malaysia and Russia need to be expedited to boost the number of Russian tourists visiting Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

Speaking to Malaysian media at a press conference following his two-day working visit for the Asean-Russia Commemorative Summit here, Anwar said the number of Russian tourists visiting Malaysia remained low compared with other countries that enjoy good relations with Moscow.

"You see, there are five million tourists (from Russia) annually to Türkiye, two million to Thailand. Fair. But why only 100,000 to Malaysia?

"Issue of flights, issue of payment, the form of payment that makes it very difficult.

Sometimes we are too stuck with old procedures, archaic, and too concerned about what some other countries may respond or react negatively,” he said.

Anwar said similar issues also affected other countries, including Iran, and should not be constrained by concerns over how certain countries might react.- BERNAMA

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