‘Review requirement for incoming passengers’

GEORGE TOWN: Air travellers are hoping that upon arrival a professional Covid-19 RTK-Antigen test can be done away with as the charges are too costly.

Singapore-based Penangite TK Lee, 45, said paying RM99 for the test at Penang International Airport was too steep.

“I could have put this money to good use, like buying food for my family for one week. I hope the government would consider removing this requirement for all incoming visitors,” he said.

Fully vaccinated air travellers will have to undergo a professional RTK-Antigen test within 24 hours of arrival.

The charge for RTK-Antigen test done at airports is RM99 for Malaysians and RM160 for non-Malaysians. The test is only between RM60 and RM80 in private clinics.

Travel operators, too, have voiced their concerns on certain requirements which they claimed as not “conducive” for international travellers.

Penang Medical Practitioners Society president Datuk KK Tan said the rate for RTK-Antigen test carried out at private clinics was between RM60 and RM80 for both Malaysians and non-Malaysians.

He said the higher charges at the airports could be due to the set-up cost.

On the 24-hour test upon arrival, Tan said it could be temporary as the Health Ministry could relax the ruling once the threat of the Covid-19 virus was contained.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Noor Azmi Ghazali told the Dewan Rakyat recently that BP Healthcare was appointed based on the open tender process while the charges had already been agreed upon.

“There is no question of a single provider providing health services to all the airports in the country. For convenience sake, travellers can do the test at the airport instead of the clinics outside,” he said.

International travellers coming into Langkawi through direct flights have to conduct a Covid-19 self-test within 24 hours upon arrival.

Langkawi Development Authority chief executive officer Nasaruddin Abdul Muttalib said they also had to report the test results via the MySejahtera application.

“They can either do it at private facilities on the island or at any drive-through centres at their hotel or place of accommodation,” he said when contacted.

He said those who fly on transit could do their test at KLIA.

Nasaruddin said three health service providers were offering the service in Langkawi.

He said the companies charge between RM60 and RM298 for professional RTK-Antigen, Rapid Molecular PCR and RT-PCR tests.