Malaysian advisers agree to reopen borders next month, report says

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia’s government advisory council agreed to reopen the nation’s borders to international visitors as early as Mar 1, without requiring travellers to undergo compulsory quarantine, Malaysiakini reported.

Travellers who enter Malaysia need to conduct a Covid test before departure and on arrival, the report cited National Recovery Council (NRC) chairman and former premier Muhyiddin Yassin as saying. The NRC met earlier on Tuesday (Feb 8).

The government must set a definite timeline to open the borders, Muhyiddin was quoted as saying in the local media last week. In the NRC meeting held in January, a committee comprising the Health Ministry was formed to map out the way forward, he said.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Feb 3 said his ministry will recommend to the government to open borders only after the nation’s booster vaccination rate improves. The ministry is still discussing the threshold values that it is comfortable with in regard to vaccination for children and booster shots for adults, he said.

Nearly 80 per cent of the total population has been fully vaccinated, with more than 53 per cent of adults having received booster shots.

The South-east Asian nation’s borders have remained largely closed since the first lockdown was imposed in March 2020, save for citizens returning home, students, permanent residents and businessmen.

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The recommendation comes as neighbours waive quarantine requirements to attract vaccinated tourists, including Thailand which said  on Monday said it was eyeing travel bubbles  with Malaysia and China. 

 At present, Malaysia allows quarantine-free entry to people from Singapore as part of a bilateral arrangement.

Daily coronavirus infections in Malaysia have surged in recent weeks to their highest in four months, driven by the Omicron variant. 

It reported 13,944 new infections on Tuesday, adding to more than 2.9 million cases recorded overall, with over 32,000 deaths, among the highest fatality and infection rates in Asia per capita.

The majority of the cases were asymptomatic or mild due Malaysia’s high vaccination rate, the health ministry said on Monday. 

About 89 per cent of 12-17 year olds have been vaccinated and inoculations for children age 5-11 started last week.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS