Reopening borders: Mixed reactions from Malaysians

(FOR COVER 2) - AZMAN GHANI/The Star

Irene Choo is happy that Malaysia is finally considering reopening its borders and allowing international tourists to enter without a mandatory quarantine period.

Choo, 33, runs a homestay business and has been struggling to make a decent income in the past few years.

“I haven’t been getting enough bookings as there aren’t many tourists around. Even when I do get bookings, most of the tenants will only stay for a night or two nights, maximum,” she says. Choo adds that whatever money she makes these days is just enough to sustain her business.

She is happy that there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel during this pandemic, and is convinced that the economy will improve tremendously once the borders reopen. That said, though, she was a little concerned initially about the scrapping of mandatory quarantine.

“It’s a worry but then Malaysia has a high vaccination rate so that is good. With most reported cases these days being mild or asymptomatic, I am confident that the vaccine is doing its job,” she says.

Apart from helping to revive the tourism industry, the reopening of the nation’s borders could also open a door for Malaysians who have not seen their loved ones amid the pandemic.

Nissa Nova, for example, has not seen her fiance for over a year. According to her, Malaysia’s travel restrictions brought their marriage plans to a halt.

“I’m unable to register my marriage with my fiance here because his MyTravel Pass application was rejected three times. My fiance has been having frequent mental breakdowns (because of all this); even I find myself losing all hope at times,” she reveals.

Nova believes that the reopening of Malaysia’s borders will finally put things at ease for couples who are in the same situation as her, adding that it will also help the tourism industry.

“We cannot afford to lose out against other countries in tourism. Many businesses are suffering; people are suffering. It’s high time to open up to fully vaccinated tourists,” she says.

Of course, there are folks who do not think it is the right time to fully reopen the country’s borders yet, especially as Malaysia is in the middle of the Omicron wave.

Matthew Lim, 22, for one, thinks that reopening the borders – or even travelling in general – is not a good idea.

“With the Omicron variant spreading like wildfire, travelling is not my priority,” says the digital marketer.

Lim says that the influx of tourists could cause the number of daily reported cases to surge or even worse, introduce another variant in the country.

“My biggest fear is the mutation of the virus. If so many people were to enter Malaysia without undergoing mandatory quarantine, how would we know who is or isn’t infected?” he notes.

Similarly, Crystal Ash, 25, is also concerned about Malaysia’s border reopening plans.

“Cases are so high now and even though our hospitals aren’t currently too overwhelmed, we still need to put efforts into controlling the spread of the virus and not make things worse,” she shares.

Although Ash loves travelling, she dares not travel yet as she does not wish to get infected, and then spread the virus to her high-risk parents. She prefers to wait until things improve.

“Human health and lives are more important,” Ash concludes.