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Malaysians to enjoy relaxed SOPs next month!

Mar 09, 2022

Malaysians have a number of things to look forward to next month!

This, as the Prime Minister says starting April 1st, Malaysia will reopen its international borders.

Vaccinated visitors will not have to undergo quarantine after arriving, however they must undergo COVID-19 testing both before departure and after their arrival.

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob adds that detailed SOPs will be announced soon.

The PM says business premises will also no longer have restricted opening hours from next month.

This means Malaysians will be allowed to dine in at restaurants even after midnight.

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Industry players welcome reopening of borders

Industry players have been given a major boost as international borders are set to reopen next month.

The Malaysian Association of Tour Agency says its members will work to offer various packages to attract both domestic and foreign tourists.

Meanwhile the International Air Transport Association also welcomed the decision, saying the move has been long-awaited by those in the aviation sector.

It hopes that moving forward, Malaysia will replace PCR COVID-19 tests with rapid antigen ones for pre-departure testing, to eventually scrapping testing requirements for all vaccinated travellers.

Earlier, the Prime Minister said vaccinated travellers are not required to undergo quarantine, however they must get tested for COVID both before departure and after arriving.

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Sabah to wait for SOPs for border reopening

Sabah says it may fine tune SOPs for the reopening of international borders next month.

It's because the state receives many tourists via boats from two neighbouring countries, namely the Philippines and Indonesia.

For now, authorities say they will wait for detailed SOPs from the federal government before further discussing the matter.