KUALA LUMPUR (March 8): Malaysia will reopen its borders on April 1 as it seeks to revive the country's economy, especially the tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the Covid 19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (pictured) said the decision was made based on the latest scientific evidence and facts related to Covid-19, and comparing the requirements for the reopening of borders by other countries. He said the move was also to ensure the comfort of travellers as well as to not complicate their journey.
"Most importantly, Malaysia is now an open destination and accessible to all," Ismail said after announcing the country's transition to the endemic phase in a special announcement on Tuesday (March 8).
With the reopening of the country's borders, Malaysians with valid travel documents can now enter and exit the country as usual and are entitled to travel to any country that has also opened its borders to foreign travellers.
"At the same time, foreign nationals with valid travel documents can enter and exit Malaysia without having to apply for the MyTravelPass, which will be abolished next month. Instead, all you need to do is download and activate the MySejahtera application and fill out the form before leaving the country through the Travellers feature in MySejahtera," he explained.
However, because of Covid-19 transmissions, especially of the more infectious Omicron variant, Malaysians and foreign travellers entering Malaysia must still follow some procedures.
"For those who have received a full [booster] vaccination, no quarantine is required. They only need to undergo the Covid-19 RT-PCR detection test two days before departure and the RTK Ag test (professional) within 24 hours of arrival.
"For other vaccination statuses, such as no vaccination for medical reasons and no vaccination, the Ministry of Health will inform the public of the procedures tomorrow (March 9).
"The relevant ministries will also issue a list of SOPs [standard operating procedures] for opening the country's borders…, especially regarding procedures at land and sea international gateways," Ismail Sabri said.
In the meantime, people in countries that have yet to reopen their borders can take advantage of the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) method agreed upon by the Malaysian government with the affected countries.
"As many know, the VTL method has been used by Singapore since last year. In the near future, as I announced recently, VTL will also be used for inbound and outbound flights between Malaysia and Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei, and Malaysia and Indonesia.
"We hope that people who want to take advantage of the opening of the country's borders will do so in accordance with the guidelines that have been set for their own safety, the safety of the people around them and the safety of the country as a whole," he added.
Malaysia’s cumulative confirmed Covid-19 infections so far stand at 3,649,463 since the pandemic hit the country in late January 2020.