Malaysian drivers are no longer required to sit and pass the driving test in Qatar to be able to drive in the left-hand driving country as the Qatar government has agreed to recognise Malaysian driving licence.
The “gift” from the Qatar government to the Malaysian people was acquired recently during Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi four-day working visit in Qatar on the invitation from Qatar Prime Minister, Sheikh Abdullah Nasser Khalifa Al Thani, who is also Minister of Interior Affairs.
“The Qatar Prime Minister immediately approved my request after I informed him on problems facing Malaysians, especially those working in the country,” said Ahmad Zahid.
Ahmad Zahid said it was the special relations enjoyed between Malaysia and Qatar that problems facing Malaysian citizens and companies could be resolved through meetings by leaders of both countries without having to go through diplomatic channel that could take a longer time.
As such, Malaysians in Qatar should protect the good image and reputation of their homeland so that the Qatar government’s confidence in Malaysia would not be affected, he added.
Ahmad Zahid said the outcome of his meeting with several Qatar leaders during the visit showed that the Qatar government looked highly on the contributions made by Malaysians and the capability of Malaysian companies.
He said the Malaysian workforce in Qatar comprised those in technical fields and professionals, and not labourers or unskilled workers like from other countries.
Prior to this, Malaysians citizen residing in Qatar will have to wait for at least 4 months and fork out $2,500 Qatari Riyal (RM3,036) to sit for the driving test, to be able to drive in the left-hand driving country.
Besides anyone who holds a GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and UAE) licence, Malaysia is among a small group of countries that’s able to obtain a full Qatar driving licence without having to pass a test. These includes countries like Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA and Vatican City.
Source: Bernama
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