Malaysians must pay departure levy from Sept 1

Crowd at the KLIA, Sepang. - Filepic

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians will have to pay a departure levy ranging from RM8 to RM150 when travelling out of the country starting Sept 1.

In a gazette published on July 31, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has fixed Sept 1 as the effective date for the departure levy.

According to the Departure Levy (Rate of Departure Levy) Order 2019, anyone leaving Malaysia for Asean countries will be charged RM8 for flights in economy class and RM50 for other classes.

For flights to countries outside Asean, Malaysians travelling in economy class will be charged RM20 while those in other classes will have to fork out RM150.

Asean countries listed are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Under the Departure Levy (Exemption) Order 2019, it is pointed out that infants and toddlers aged below 24 months, pedestrians and individuals riding by themselves in any type of vehicle for personal use, including any passenger in or pillion rider on such a vehicle, will be exempted from the levy.

Exemptions include any crew on duty on board the aircraft and passengers in transit arriving at any international airport in Malaysia heading towards their next destination not exceeding 12 hours.

The order also exempts commercial vehicles operators carrying workers to an oil rig or platform, government vehicles carrying passengers from Malaysia, and water or land vehicles.