Kuala Lumpur 17 February 2022: The Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (MATTA) is urging the Government to open the international border measures for fully vaccinated travelers into and out of Malaysia.
With our very good number of vaccination by the people, MATTA feels that it is the correct step for the Government to allow people to travel into and out of the country with much lesser restrictions and hassles as a further step to promote travel and tourism. Many other countries have already started to make travel and tourism so much easier with less restrictions, such as in United Kingdom, several other Europe countries, and nearer to our country; like in Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines and Australia.
The government has announced new SOPs for travel for Umrah pilgrims. These new SOPs should be the same standard for Malaysians travelling abroad. We believed the new SOPs have been considered well and must be good. Hence, we are urging the government to also allow for Malaysians to travel out of the country for business or leisure to follow the similar guidelines and SOPs, it should not be different. Especially the home quarantine upon returning home from overseas is same for all Malaysians, to withdraw the Home Quarantine Application (HQA) as per requirement from Ministry of Health to be applied 4-10 days prior to date of arrival.
MATTA Outbound Vice President, Madam Cynthia said MATTA understand the Government concerns for the health and safety of the people in Malaysia by taking a risk-based and measured approach to re-open our international borders. Many other countries were also affected by the covid pandemic and after 2 years have now reopened their borders for people to travel in and out of the country following safe and health protocols. Malaysia must do likewise and that we cannot be closed further.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a huge crisis in the tourism economy, giving an immense shock to the sector and the people involved in it resulting in huge losses into billions of dollars and high unemployment of the people The Government must take an immediate approach by reopening the international borders for travellers into and out of Malaysia and working with businesses to revive and rebuild the tourism industry with safe and health protocols for safe travel.
The Government have said that we are preparing for the endemic stage and for the people to learn to live with the virus. With that, the international borders should be reopened very soon for people to travel in and out of Malaysia. The people will be wise to follow the SOPs and to abide with safe and health protocols when they travel.
CYNTHIA TAN
Vice President Outbound
Term 2021 – 2023