OTTAWA - The Canadian government said today that Malaysians seeking to enter the country would henceforth require a "temporary resident visa" as the Malaysian passport system was "vulnerable to abuse".

Malaysians had been exempt from the visa requirement.

"The decision to lift the visa exemption was made because the Malaysian passport and passport issuing system are vulnerable to abuse," Denis Doderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, said in a statement.

Similar action against Saudis

"It is essential to maintain the integrity of Canada's immigration program, while continuing to facilitate the entry of legitimate travellers," he said, without citing any specific cases of abuse.

"Many factors are considered in ... decisions to lift visa exemptions," said the statement.

It said the visa requirement would take effect tomorrow, allowing a 24-hour grace period for Malaysians in transit.

On Sept 5, Canada imposed a similar visa requirement on citizens of Saudi Arabia. In total, citizens of 140 countries now require visas to enter Canada. AFP