The government is simplifying the requirements for business travellers planning to visit Malaysia for less than two weeks, which will involve removing the 10-day quarantine order and fast-tracking the approval process for eligible applicants.
However, they will need to undergo Covid-19 tests three days before departure, upon arrival and three days before leaving, and will be accompanied by a government-assigned liaison officer throughout the approved itinerary submitted by the traveller, to ensure compliance with SOPs and to minimise contact with the public.
Dr Sanjay Rampal, epidemiology and public health medicine professor at Universiti Malaya, said any relaxed requirements must “balance the expected benefits with the anticipated harms,” and said the removal of the quarantine period was balanced out by other requirements.
“The shortening or elimination of the quarantine period has its risks, but makes such things less costly and burdensome,” he said, adding that “the risk involved with such travel is reduced with repeated testing”.
Similarly, Dr Subramaniam Muniandy, president of the Malaysian Medical Association said that “quarantine upon arrival in Malaysia may not be necessary” if sufficient precautions are taken to ensure the effectiveness of other safety measures.
“The first Covid-19 test taken three days before the traveller departs to Malaysia should be an RT-PCR test, and measures will need to be in place after this first test to prevent possible exposure between the test and their flight.”
He added that it would also be important to create a sort of “safety bubble” around travellers throughout their journey, to minimise the risks of them interacting with society without an isolation period. This could be accomplished through the supervision of their liaison officer.
Carmelo Ferlito, CEO of the Centre for Market Education Malaysia called the development “a step in the right direction,” and emphasised the importance of business travel for the economy.
“For businesses to restart and grow, a higher degree of personal interaction at the international level is needed. Business travel will have a long-term impact on the economy, and will help set us on a path towards recovery,” he said.
He said, however, that having a liaison officer following one’s every move could be an inconvenience, stating that the role could be treated more informally. He suggested that the company hosting the traveller could bear this responsibility instead.
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