No entry for travellers from 3 nations
mazwin@thestar.com.my
PUTRAJAYA: Travellers from more countries will not be allowed to enter Malaysia, particularly during the winter season, with restrictions to be imposed on long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines effective Sept 7, says Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Additionally, he said, the Health Ministry had been asked to make detailed planning on how Malaysia should face threats and challenges amid the possibility of an increase in Covid-19 cases during the winter season.
“We will monitor the situation in other countries and if there is a spike in positive cases, we will do the same (restrictions). This decision will be made based on advice from the ministry,” Ismail Sabri said in his press briefing yesterday.
The minister said the government had taken initiatives by tightening the borders and not allowing people from the three countries to enter.
Ismail Sabri said long-term pass holders from the three countries would not be allowed to enter Malaysia following a spike in Covid19 cases there and the move was to prevent imported cases from being spread here.
The restriction, he added, would affect holders of permanent resident status, Malaysia My Second Home participants and expatriates, including professional visit pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Also not allowed to enter Malaysia, the minister said, were spouses of Malaysian citizens from these countries and students who were studying in Malaysian colleges and universities but were currently back home.
“The special Cabinet committee is aware of
The meeting today decided to impose restrictions on citizens of India, Indonesia and Philippines from entering the country.
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
the sudden spike in Covid-19 positive cases in certain countries.
“The meeting today decided to impose restrictions on citizens of India, Indonesia and Philippines from entering the country,” he noted.
Ismail Sabri said the other challenge was on how to prepare for the return of Malaysian citizens from countries experiencing winter, adding that this also needed to be looked into.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had said that although Malaysia had Covid-19 infections under control, there was an increase in cases in countries where cold weather was setting in such as India, South Korea, Japan, Spain and France.
Ismail Sabri also said that officers from the local authorities would join in raids and checks conducted by the police on pubs, nightclubs and entertainment outlets so that immediate action could be taken against errant operators. He said actions would include cancelling or revoking their business licences and closing them.
He said the authorities wanted this to be done because there was an increase of people caught in pub and nightclub activities that were still prohibited during the recovery movement control order (MCO).
The minister noted that on Aug 31 alone, 600 individuals were arrested and slapped with compounds for these activities.
“This is the highest number of violation cases involving pub and nightclub activities recorded during the recovery MCO.
“The authorities are concerned with the increase in violation incidences as these activities are still not allowed,” he added.
A total of 778 individuals were arrested on Aug 31, of which 98 were remanded, seven were allowed bail while 673 were issued with compounds.
Aside from pub and nightclub activities, those compounded were also found not complying with physical distancing measures, operating businesses beyond the permitted hours and failing to record customers’ information.
The police also took action against two individuals who violated quarantine orders and 16 people for failure to wear face masks.