The Foreign Ministry said Malaysia will not reciprocate Canada's decision to impose a new visa requirement for Malaysian citizens, which took effect today.

When contacted, the ministry's consular desk official Osman Awang said Malaysia will not impose a reverse visa requirement for Canadian citizens.

The Canadian government said it lifted the visa exemption for Malaysians entering the country due to "security reasons".

A spokesperson for the Canadian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Michael Blackmore, said immigration officials in his country were concerned that the Malaysian passport and passport issuing system could be vulnerable to abuse.

"It might make them (the passports) a target for people who could potentially try to enter Canada illegally," he said when contacted.