Hinrdaf chairman P Waythamoorthy said in the letter that the new visa processing fee of RM462.56 for one year had caused “waves of discontent” among Malaysians, especially those of Indian origin wishing to travel to India.
He said the earlier fee of RM194.56 for a six-month visa was “affordable”, but the new fee was too steep especially for poor Indians who would save up to go for a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to India.
He called on Modi to review the one-year visa fees and to reinstate the six-month visa which had been scrapped.
The new fees came into effect on July 1. Over-the-counter visas, valid for a year, are now priced at RM462.56. The fee for India’s eVisa, which is valid for four months, has also been increased from RM200 to RM320.
Many Malaysians and tour agents have criticised the scrapping of the six-month visa and the increase in fee for the one-year visa. Some travel agents said Sri Lanka and Nepal would benefit as visa fees to these countries were cheaper.
K Thangavelu, the president of the Malaysian Indian Tour and Travel Association, was quoted in the media as saying the new visa application fee would put off Malaysians, especially those who intended to visit India once just for sightseeing.