May 11, 2026
PETALING JAYA – The enthusiasm of Taiwanese investors is being eroded by visa obstacles, warns Lien Yu-Ping, the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Malaysia.
In an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily, Lieu identified three primary visa-related grievances raised by Taiwanese businesses.
They are: lengthy processing times for high-level technical personnel, mandatory annual renewals for work permits and difficulty in obtaining long-term visas (exceeding three years).
Lien emphasised that these hurdles directly impact operations and hinder the transfer of technology and local talent development.
While global supply chains are restructuring rapidly, Taiwanese firms—which prioritise localised production—find themselves restricted by rigid visa quotas and short durations, she said.
Lien said this when she led a delegation to visit Sin Chew Daily in Petaling Jaya where she was received by Group Editor-in-Chief of Media Chinese International Limited (Malaysia) Dato’ Kuik Cheng Kang and Sin Chew Daily Editor-in-Chief Chan Aun Kuang.
The “pickleball” metaphor for bilateral relations
Despite these challenges, Lien described Malaysia-Taiwan relations as a “friendly game of pickleball.”
“It’s a back-and-forth game; when you hit the ball over, I must catch it. Both sides work hard individually, but ultimately, we are interdependent and complementary, completing a great match together,” she said.
However, she candidly rated the current level of economic communication at 50 out of 100, suggesting significant room for improvement, particularly in establishing direct dialogues between high-level officials to facilitate investment in key sectors like AI and Data Centres.
She pointed out that Malaysia holds a strategic position in the global supply chain shift, making it highly attractive for Taiwanese investment.
Simplifying and improving visa processes would significantly boost investor confidence and support Malaysia in achieving its goals under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) and the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS).”