KUALA LUMPUR – Travel used to be something I did not put much effort into for many years.
Once your visa requirements are fulfilled, it is pretty much just flight and accommodation bookings.
However, a virus has changed so much of our way of life over the past year.
For travellers to several destinations around the world, we are back to the era of quarantine stations and centres ala Pulau Jerejak (Penang), Ellis Island (New York) and Angel Island (San Francisco).
At the moment, I am getting a taste of what it was like for some 1.2 million Chinese and Indian migrants – and transiting haj pilgrims – who had to disembark at Pulau Jerejak for health screenings before they were allowed on Penang Island or into parts of then Malaya, to pursue employment and business opportunities in the late 19th century right up to World War II.
At least, I have a comfortable hotel room, not an open-walled shack with a tin roof and concrete bed, with three toilets and one bathing area to be shared by 120 people.
This is the reality of international travel for so many of us today. Health declarations and screenings, and mandatory isolation or quarantine.
I decided to fly home to Malaysia for the Christmas holidays when the second lockdown was announced in the UK. It was not too daunting a process for me, but certainly not one that was easy, especially for Malaysians with spouses and children travelling with foreign passports.
The additional processes in place are enough to put off many from even contemplating returning, especially with the high cost of quarantine and two weeks of isolation involved.
Flights were few and far between, so there were not many choices for direct flights out of the UK. Malaysia Airlines had flights out about twice a week, while British Airways had cancelled all flights out last month, when the lockdown was announced.
There were many via the Middle East, but some required Covid-19 tests to be done prior to the flight – essentially double the cost for travellers to Malaysia, who would have to repeat the test upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
This was my experience journeying home in late November.
Before departure
A letter of undertaking (LoU) had to be filled out, signed, scanned and sent to the Malaysian high commission together with the required documents – in my case, a copy of my passport, MyKad and flight ticket.
There was initially some confusion over where to download the LoU from, as there are several websites from which the form can be obtained – the Health Ministry, National Disaster Management Agency, Transport Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, and Immigration Department (relevant to persons married to foreigners, and children travelling with foreign passports).
I decided to download and fill the form from the Health Ministry website, as it seemed the most relevant.
The first step was to book a flight ticket, fill out the LoU, scan my passport and MyKad, and upload and email all of the above to the Malaysian high commission at [email protected] to obtain a letter of approval.
The email subject should state, LoU: (name): (date of travel): (time of travel): (departure airport).
The important information here is the date, as priority for approvals is given accordingly. I submitted my application for a letter of approval on November 12 (Thursday) and received a Letter of Permission to Perform Journey to Malaysia on November 16 (Monday) – six days before departure.
I then booked a hotel under the premium package (PP) option offered, and obtained the necessary proof of payment and receipt from the hotel to have in hand.
Bookings for the PP must be made directly with the hotel. Some were fully booked on the dates I enquired about, so it would be prudent to check early. A list of hotels offering the package can be viewed here.
Prices for the PP depend on the hotel you pick (roughly about RM2,000 more than the normal package). Opting for the normal package is like playing the lottery.
If you are lucky, your designated hotel could be a swanky five-star establishment with a nice city or green view. If you lose the lottery, you might find yourself in a four-star hotel with dodgy facilities in the middle of nowhere, with a room without a window.
For the normal package, deposit/full payment will have to be made to your assigned hotel upon check-in, preferably using a credit card.
The rates and more information on quarantine guidelines can be viewed here.
Malaysia Airlines, too, has concise and up-to-date information on its website.
Departure (Heathrow airport)
Online check-in is encouraged. You will also need to produce the LoU and Letter of Permission to Perform Journey to Malaysia at the check-in counter.
Download the MySejahtera app, as you will need it as soon as you land at KLIA.
Arrival (KLIA)
I was met by airport service staff, who guided me through the whole process as soon as I disembarked, as part of the PP benefits.
It was relatively uncomplicated, as there were police personnel and Health Ministry officials assisting passengers through the process.
At KLIA:
– Scan the QR code on MySejahtera before boarding the bus to the main terminal;
– Temperature check;
– Fill out the form for the Covid-19 test: name, address, phone number, flight seat number, etc;
– Document check;
– Payment for the PCR and RTK (Day 13) tests: RM180 (free for students returning from overseas for the first time. Show student card as proof);
– PCR swab test (nose and throat);
– LoU and document check;
– Immigration check;
– Baggage collection;
– Customs check;
– Baggage disinfection; and,
– Board van, car or bus to hotel for quarantine.
At hotel:
– Hotel check-in process;
– Check-in to room for a 14-day quarantine;
– Scan the registration QR code in the room, followed by the daily monitoring QR code to provide updates to the Health Ministry;
– Sign the Order for Surveillance and Observation for Contact of Covid-19 letter; and,
– Get tagged with a pink wristband denoting the quarantine centre and date of discharge (officially a person under surveillance, or PUS).
The entire process took about two hours. We landed at 6.30am, and I was in the car heading to the hotel just after 7.30am and in the hotel by 8.15am. Not too bad in terms of time management.
I am still in quarantine, with food given three times a day, hotel essentials provided upon request, and the Wi-Fi is not too bad. Family members can send food and essentials to PUS (checked by health officials), but no physical contact is allowed.
Food deliveries are allowed at certain times of the day, but where I am, there is the option of cashless transaction for 24/7 room service. Another week to go.
The procedure for travel from other countries is most likely the same, but if in doubt, there is the Malaysia Quarantine Support Group on Facebook, where some of your queries can be answered by the admin or other Malaysians who may have been in the same boat. – The Vibes, December 2, 2020
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