Malaysia to Ban Entry of Indonesian Citizens Next Week

KOMPAS.com – Malaysia will ban the entry of long-term immigration pass holders from Indonesia from September 7 in a move to curb imported Covid-19 cases in the country.

Previously, Malaysia’s Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government would impose the entry bans on citizens from Indonesia, the Philippines, and India from Monday.

A spokesman for Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Teuku Faizasyah has confirmed the ban. “The Malaysian government will stop long-term pass holders from the Philippines, Indonesia, and India from entering Malaysian territory,” Faizasyah told Kompas.com on Thursday, September 3.

The ban will affect the long-term pass holders, students, expatriates, permanent residents, and family members of Malaysian citizens. The ban, he added, will go into effect from September 7.

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He explained the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had summoned Malaysia’s Ambassador to Indonesia to clarify the matter on Wednesday. The Malaysian envoy, he said, will relay the messages to his headquarters.

The reasons for the ban remain unclear. Currently, the Indonesian government is still waiting for the details. “We ask for the clarification and wait for the exact reason on the restrictions,” he said.

The policy to ban Indonesian citizens from visiting Malaysia is only temporary. “The Malaysian ambassador informed us that the policy is temporary and will be reviewed weekly,” he added.

It was reported that Malaysia’s Defense Minister Ismail said he would also monitor the Covid-19 development in other countries and impose the ban on the countries with a high number of confirmed Covid-19 cases.

“We have started tightening border controls by prohibiting citizens from the three countries from entering Malaysia,” he said.

Also read: One Hundred Indonesian Doctors Die at Frontlines Fighting Covid-19

His country continued its steps to contain the pandemic until the end of the year as the coronavirus caseload remains high. The Ministry of Health was asked to make detailed plans for how Malaysia should handle the threats and challenges.

Data said the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases around the globe reached over 26 million as of September 3. Of these numbers, more than 886,000 people have died, while over 18,400,000 people recovered. The United States, Brazil, and India are still at the top of the list of most cases of coronavirus infection in the world.

(Writer: Nur Fitriatus Shalihah | Editor: Sari Hardiyanto)

Source: https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2020/09/03/150500665/wni-dilarang-masuk-malaysia-mulai-pekan-depan-benarkah-karena-corona?page=all#page3.