Covid-19: Immigration releases list of countries whose citizens are barred from entering M'sia

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department has come up with a list of countries whose citizens are barred from entering the country effective Monday (Sept 7).

The ban, due to the high number of Covid-19 cases, has been imposed on citizens of 23 countries - the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Colombia, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Iran, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.

Also in the list are Saudia Arabia, Pakistan, France, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Iraq, Philippines and Indonesia.

The list was published on the Immigration Department's official Facebook page.

On Sept 3, the government announced that it will impose an entry ban on citizens of countries recording more than 150,000 cases of Covid-19 starting Sept 7.

Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government will add more countries deemed high risk into the list and their citizens will be barred from entering the country.

However, for emergency cases or involving bilateral relations, authorities will make an exception and will allow these individuals entry.

Long-term pass holders from the 23 countries will not be allowed to enter Malaysia, including those holding permanent resident status, participants of Malaysia My Second Home and expatriates and professional visit pass holders.

Also barred from entry are spouses of Malaysian citizens as well as students.

Several parties, including international chambers of commerce, have urged the government to reconsider the blanket entry ban, arguing that the latest policy might impact business operations.

The National Association of Private Education Institutions (Napei) said the government should instead look for alternative solutions as the move will also affect the economy

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