Tourists from countries affected by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) may be facing problems entering the country but not students who are still being allowed into Penang.

The Penang Immigration Department is still approving visas of foreign students, including those from Sars high-risk countries such as China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore.

This is despite the strict visa rulings imposed by the government earlier this week o­n visitors from China, Vietnam, US, UK, Taiwan, Canada and Hong Kong, listed with Singapore as "highly-affected" countries by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

'Nothing we can do'

An immigration officer who requested anonymity said private colleges are still sending in their applications for visas o­n behalf of foreign students enrolled in their colleges, especially from Thailand.

She said the department has also been receiving visa applications from Universiti Sains Malaysia.

"There is nothing we can do. If the students are screened at entry checkpoints and given clearance to enter the country with proper documents, we cannot delay their visa approval," she said when contacted yesterday.

She denied a private college's claim that there was a directive to education institutions to ban the intake of foreign students from Sars high-risk countries.

Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU) Penang has stopped enrolling students from China, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong, claiming it was following a directive from the department.

According to KDU marketing executive Wan Mazlina Osman, the ban was effective last month.

She said the college, which has 2,000 local and 300 foreign students, has yet to feel the impact of Sars as the last student intake was in January.

The disease was first detected in mid-February, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) was trying to confirm reports of outbreaks in Vietnam, Hong Kong, and China.

Said Mazlina: "We would have to monitor the situation come August, our next intake."

Another college taking the same position is Disted College which though still open to foreign students, also claimed it was not directly affected by Sars as its last intake was in January.

Disted College marketing officer KT Tan said the college's next intake is in August and "we are keeping our fingers crossed" that the disease would be curable by then.

"Anyhow, if students do get a visa and have clearance at entry checkpoints, we are in no position to reject them," he said.

Disted has 850 students, of which 100 are foreigners who hail from Thailand, Indonesia and China.

Visa problems

Another college has not stopped enrolling foreign students from Sars high-risk countries, but is facing problems with visa approvals from the Immigration Department.

Inti College Penang marketing manager Cery Oon said the visas which have been submitted for over a month are still being processed.

She said the college had been told that new visas would not be issued until the current Sars situation has improved.

"But some students come from Thailand o­n their own and we have no problems enrolling them. Sometimes we help them apply for the visa," she said.

Even so, the college advises students from Sars-affected countries to defer their studies until the next semester or intake.

"Some students call up o­n their own and say they wish to defer their studies. I guess it is o­nly best that both sides take precaution," she added.

Inti has a population of about 1,200 students, of which 50 are Chinese, 10 Indonesian and 15 Thai.