The tourism, arts and culture ministry hopes the home ministry will consider granting multiple entry visas to foreign tourists to boost the tourism sector.

Its minister, Nancy Shukri, said discussions between the two ministries had been conducted as visa approvals came under the jurisdiction of the home ministry.

“Hopefully, it will be a temporary policy (granting multiple entry visas) as we need tourists to come and continue returning to Malaysia,” she said after attending the 23rd Asean sub-committee on culture and 11th Asean Plus Three cultural cooperation meeting here.

“So far, the targeted number of tourist arrivals has exceeded 4.5 million and that figure is expected to increase to over eight million by the end of this year with the reopening of the Brunei-Malaysia border from Aug 1.

The Asean sub-committee meeting is held annually to discuss cultural, arts and heritage projects implemented by member countries under the sponsorship of the Asean Cultural Fund.

The meeting also supported two projects proposed by Malaysia – the Asean Workshop on Sustainable Heritage Food Packaging and Commercialisation for the World Market and the Echoes of Asean Bronze with an allocation of US$100,000 (RM444,850).