All VTL travellers to Malaysia to undergo Covid-19 tests for 6 days

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia has updated its Covid-19 requirement for international and local travellers arriving in the country under 3 travel schemes.

Those on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) by air and land, the Langkawi International Travel Bubble (LITB), and the One Stop Centre (OSC) for short-term business visitors will have to undergo Covid-19 test for 6 days after arriving in Malaysia.

The new requirement will also apply to travellers from Singapore.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the requirement, which would take effect from Thursday (Dec 9), aims to strengthen the Ministry of Health's existing precautionary and control measures to prevent the transmission and spread of the Omicron variant in the country.

"Travellers under these categories must undergo Covid-19 detection test upon arrival in Malaysia, RTK-Ag test or Rapid Antigen Test (self-test) on the second, fourth and sixth day after arrival," Khairy said.

"They would also need to undergo a professional RTK-Ag test on the third and fifth day after arriving. In addition, LITB travellers must undergo an RT-PCR test at least 48 hours earlier before leaving Langkawi island."

He added: "All test results must be reported through the MySejahtera application."

Khairy said those travellers must also ensure that they are fully vaccinated and must undergo RT-PCR tests at least 48 hours prior to their travel dates, replacing the previous procedure set at 72 hours before departure, according to a report in Bernama news agency.

Melissa Lee, 36, who works in the banking industry in Singapore, said she is planning to travel to Kuala Lumpur via the Air VTL on Dec 15, to visit her parents and spend time with friends after being away from Malaysia for 2 years.

Lee, a Singapore permanent resident who has worked in the country for about a decade, said the new daily testing rules will be an added inconvenience and will add to her travel costs, but will not deter her from making the trip home.

"I'm just glad that the Singapore and Malaysia authorities are still pressing ahead with the VTL instead of pausing it, and I feel the new testing measures are a good precaution, because even as I return home and roam freely I'll be able to have peace of mind that I'm Covid-free," she said.

"Even with the added costs, travelling home will be worth it because it's my first time flying home in 2 years."

Hee Xin Wei, 24, who works in a healthcare software company in Singapore, said that although the added daily tests increase the long list of travel requirements, it will not deter her from travel as long as the VTL remains open.

She is hoping to return home for 2 weeks during Chinese New Year next year, having not been home to Penang since Chinese New Year in 2020.

"After waiting for so long to return, I'm happy to abide by any measures as long as they help to ensure the VTL can proceed," she said.

"I see it as the authorities trying to be safe, and as long as the VTL is not cancelled I am happy with how things are."

Hee added that the daily antigen rapid tests do not feel like much of an added inconvenience compared with the other paperwork, planning and pre-departure tests that she has to go through before travelling home.

Meanwhile, Khairy said travellers from 5 countries with reported cases of Omicron in the community, namely Britain, the United States, Australia, France and Norway, will be required to get tested with an RT-PCR swab test 48 hours before departing for Malaysia.

He added that those travellers would also be required to use a digital tracking device on them at all times during their mandatory quarantine period.

Khairy said travellers - including Malaysian citizens and long-term visit pass holders - arriving from the 8 countries with a temporary travel ban must also use a digital tracking device at the designated isolation centres during their 14-day mandatory quarantine period.

He added that the preventive measures will be reviewed from time to time.

As of Tuesday (Dec 7), 43 countries have reported Omicron-related cases.

The Omicron variant was detected last Thursday (Dec 2) in Ipoh, in a 19-year-old South African private university student who had arrived from South Africa via Singapore on Nov 19.

On Nov 27, Malaysia listed 8 countries on temporary travel restrictions, namely, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

THE STAR