KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry will heed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s call for it to submit proposals and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the reopening of the country’s borders.
Speaking to the media after a work visit to the Batu Pahat Mall Covid-19 vaccination centre, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the ministry plans to submit the complete framework within two weeks.
He added that it is unlikely that the nation’s borders will immediately open after the paperwork submission.
When asked how long the process will take, Khairy estimated it will be completed sometime in the second quarter of this year.
“Even after the ministry has submitted all our proposals and SOPs, this does not mean that our borders will open right away.
“The details of the reopening must still be presented to and ironed out with the National Recovery Council (NRC) and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein,” he said, adding that the plans will have to be tabled to the cabinet.
“The reopening of borders is a big decision that involves national policies. It is not a call that can be made by the Health Ministry or any other agency by itself.”
Yesterday, Ismail Sabri had said the Health Ministry had two to three weeks to present their proposals, after which the cabinet would decide whether to fully reopen the borders or reopen with restrictions involving selected countries.
On February 8, NRC chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the council had agreed to proposals for Malaysia to fully reopen its borders as early as March 1 without the need for mandatory quarantine.
The former prime minister, however, said it had to be implemented with careful planning and based on the current risk assessment. – The Vibes, February 19, 2022
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