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WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE ON ARRIVAL OF A VESSEL OR SHIP IN MALAYSIA ?

The person having control of a vessel known as master, must navigate his vessel to the immigration anchorage.

The master of any vessel arriving or leaving Malaysia shall produce of certain lists and persons to the immigration officer and in case of vessels carrying passengers, a complete list of all passengers in Form 25A (Passenger List - Disembarkation at a Malaysian Port) or Form 25B (Passenger List - Through passengers) whichever is applicable.

The master of the vessel which arrives in Malaysia shall hoist the required immigration signal and shall exhibit the signal until authorized by an immigration officer to haul it down.

The immigration signal required shall be

• by day, the flags in the International Code of Signals corresponding to
• the numerals "25" in respect of vessels not carrying passengers and
• the numerals "34" in respect of vessels carrying passengers and
• by night, in every case, a red light over a white light mounted vertically, 6 feet apart, visible through 360^o for a distance of 2 miles.

If ordered by an immigration officer, the master of the vessel shall anchor or tie up his vessel at such place as may be ordered, and shall remain there until an immigration officer gives him permission to leave.

With authority granted, the pilot, any government officer boarding the vessel on duty, the owner, charterer or agent of the vessel or a consular officer of the country to which the vessel belongs shall leave or board a vessel arriving in Malaysia.

No person other than the above may leave or approach one cable length of the vessel, until the vessel has been examined by an immigration officer and the immigration signal has been hauled down.

It shall be the duty of the master of the vessel to prevent any person other than those with authority granted from disembarking from or boarding the vessel until the disembarking or boarding has been authorized by an immigration officer.

Any person found on board of a vessel whose presence has not been reported in the lists, the master of the vessel shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding RM$1,000.00 in respect of each person.

All disembarking passengers are required to complete a Disembarking Card in triplicate and to enclose it in their passports for presentation to the immigration officer.

Every person arriving in Malaysia, shall appear before an immigration officer at such time and place as the officer may direct for examination as he may consider necessary.

Where an immigration officer is in doubt as to the right of any person to enter Malaysia, it shall be lawful for the officer to direct the person to an immigration depot and in such case, the person shall proceed to the depot and shall remain there until permitted to leave by the officer.

Where after examination, a person is considered to be prohibited from entering Malaysia, such person if still aboard, shall not disembark and if disembarked, shall return to the vessel. The immigration officer shall inform the person and give him instructions to depart from Malaysia on the vessel to which requirement has been made to his place of embarkation or to the country of his birth or citizenship.