Taiwan performers arrested in Malaysia fined for working without permit

Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 18 (CNA) Malaysian immigration authorities on Thursday decided that the six performers arrested for performing without government permission in the country on Oct. 10, including four Taiwanese nationals and two Singaporeans, will be fined for breaching border rules.

Penang State Executive Councilor for Tourism & Creative Economy Wong Hon Wai (黃漢偉) told CNA Friday that the Malaysian Immigration Department's office in Penang State decided to issue a fine as the penalty to the six performers, who entered Malaysia as tourists but worked as artists in a cultural event in the city of Butterworth in Penang on Oct. 10.

Before foreigners travel to Malaysia for filming and performances, they have to obtain permission from PUSPAL, a government agency that coordinates applications for these activities, Wong said.

According to the immigration authorities in Penang, it received a tip-off about the six individuals ahead of their performance in an opera at a place of worship in Butterworth and found that they entered as tourists, as citizens of Taiwan and Singapore enjoy a 30-day visa-free visit to Malaysia.

Since the six individuals traveled to Malaysia to perform, the visa-free treatment does not apply to them, and their failure to obtain PUSPAL permission violates the country's 1963 immigration regulations, a local employment services company told CNA.

While no information has been released regarding the fine and its amount, violators would face a prison term of no longer than six months, and a fine of up to 1,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$232.34) under the 1963 regulations, according to the employment services.