After what seems like a lifetime of restrictions and lockdowns, Malaysia will allow interstate and international travel from 11 October onwards. This news comes after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that over 90 percent of adult Malaysians throughout the country have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Additionally, the Prime Minister also announced that Malaysian citizens who are fully vaccinated will be permitted to travel overseas without having to apply for the MyTravelPass scheme.
Previously, Malaysians were required to seek out special permissions in order to travel from state-to-state, as the rising number of Covid-19 infections meant that stricter lockdown restrictions were re-implemented. However, according to the Prime Minister during a televised broadcast, this will no longer be the case moving forward. Following full vaccinations, Malaysians will be free to travel, including to return to their respective hometowns to meet with family and for tourism purposes.
He also reminded travelers to not be complacent as the the risk of infection is still very real, even with vaccinations. Earlier this year, Malaysia saw relatively low numbers in terms of new Covid-19 cases. However, this number grew exponentially following the festive season.
The prime minister also highlighted that there will be no more police roadblocks to enforce the ban on interstate travel, but he warned that police officers may conduct random checks at rest and relax (RnR) pitstops along highways to ensure that travelers are fully vaccinated.
This news will come as a relief to businesses as well. While many organizations were granted permission to allow employees to travel across states for work, the process for obtaining the necessary permits was still time consuming, thus affecting productivity. Some businesses were not even granted permission to travel at all. With these restrictions being lifted, business will likely pick-up once more.
