Borders to reopen on April 1

KUALA LUMPUR: In about three weeks, Malaysia will reopen its borders and those wanting to visit the country will no longer need to apply for the MyTravelPass.

All travellers have to do is download the MySejahtera application and fill in the pre-departure form under the “Traveller” section, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

“The reopening of the country’s borders was one of the much-awaited announcements among the rakyat.

“We believe that the reopening of the borders on April 1 will not only bring freedom for the rakyat to travel abroad but also allow those from other countries to visit Malaysia,” he said at a press conference in Parliament yesterday.

Visitors and Malaysians who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer have to quarantine when they arrive.

They must, however, undergo a RT-PCR test two days before departure and a professional rapid test (RTK-Antigen) upon arrival.

“They can do the RTK test at the airport or at a health facility outside, but it must be done within 24 hours,” said Ismail Sabri.

Free to travel: Under the new rules, visitors and Malaysians who have been fully vaccinated will no longer have to quarantine when they arrive. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

As for travellers who have not been fully vaccinated, he said the entry procedures will be explained by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today.

“The country wants to provide comfort to travellers and not complicate their travel process,” the Prime Minister added.

As for Malaysians, he said those with valid documents are free to travel to any other country that had reopened their borders to visitors.

For countries that had yet to fully open their borders such as Singapore, Malaysians could use the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) method, he said.

He added that the country is also in the midst of implementing the VTL initiative with Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia.

The country’s borders have been shut since March 2020, while entry of foreign workers has been frozen due to the pandemic.

Ismail Sabri noted that the reopening of the borders will help revive the country’s economy, especially the tourism industry which was badly hit by the pandemic.

Some 98.7% of Malaysia’s adult population are fully vaccinated, while 64% have received their booster shots.

Although the country’s daily cases have shot past the 30,000 mark due to the recent Omicron outbreak, 99% of the infections are mild or asymptomatic.