KOTA KINABALU – As Malaysia opens its borders to Singapore travellers from tomorrow, Sabahans are wondering if this will apply to the state as well.
Singapore airline Scoot has started offering direct flights from the island republic to Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Ipoh, Penang, and Kuching, but not Kota Kinabalu.
With the state seemingly left out, Sabah Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents chairman Lawrence Chin said he hopes for the state government to reopen borders with Singapore.
“Singapore is a very important market for Sabah. We had more than 8,000 tourists from Singapore per year before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019.
“We hope our government will open the borders between Singapore and Sabah to help struggling tour and hotel operators in Sabah,” he told The Vibes.
Local tourism player Alexander Yee said Scoot had the Singapore-Kota Kinabalu route before the pandemic, so he was surprised to learn that Scoot did not offer a direct flight from Singapore this time.
“However, it could be because of travel restrictions in Sabah. Singapore tourists are important to us. Even though their arrival numbers are not among the top five, they are high-yield visitors who frequent five-star hotels and spend more during their short stay,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said the state government has yet to fix a date to open its borders to international travellers, including those from Singapore.
“When the international border (for Malaysia) is opened, I assume that Sabah will be able to receive tourists through travel bubbles.”
Bangkuai told The Vibes he could not comment further on the matter as he did not have enough details.
So far, the standard operating procedures (SOPs) applied to Sabah require international travellers – Malaysians and non-Malaysians – to undergo a seven-day quarantine for fully vaccinated individuals, and a 10-day quarantine for unvaccinated individuals above 12 years old.
SOPs on entering Sabah were last updated yesterday, posted on the Sabah National Security Council’s Facebook page. – The Vibes, November 28, 2021
