Interstate travel expected to be permitted from October

PUTRAJAYA (Sept 28): Interstate travel is expected to be allowed from next month based on data, after 90% of Malaysia’s adult population have been fully vaccinated, says National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"It may be in early or mid-October, the latest. You all will be able to move around but always remember the SOPs (standard operating procedures),” he said to reporters after chairing the 3/2021 MPN meeting here on Sept 27.

Also present at the meeting were Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, Senior International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Senior Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. 

Muhyiddin said the question of reopening the country’s borders was also being looked into by the relevant ministries and would be discussed with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

"I hope this will be announced soon,” he said, adding that apart from interdistrict and interstate travel, reopening of the country’s borders was also important to speed up the country’s recovery process.

Muhyiddin said the discussion on this matter covered the proposed reopening of the country’s borders to tourists, traders and entrepreneurs to enable them to come to Malaysia and for Malaysians to visit the countries that would receive those who had been fully vaccinated.

"This was a decision that would have a big impact on the country,” he added.

Muhyiddin said the MPN meeting on Sept 27 also focused on the preparations for reopening of the education sector.

MPN was given detailed briefing on the latest Covid-19 status in the country by the Health Ministry, Plan on Reopening and Operations of the Higher Learning Institutions for the 2021/2022 Academic Session, and Evaluation Report on the Reopening of Schools by the Education Ministry, he said.

The meeting took note of reopening of the tertiary institutions (IPT) in stages from Oct 15 and schools, also in stages from Oct 3 and the SOPs enforced to protect the IPT and school students against Covid-19, he  added.

Muhyiddin said the meeting also approved the proposal paper on establishing the State Recovery Council to be chaired by the respective menteri besar or chief ministers.

He said the State Recovery Council had the role of ensuring that the decisions of the MPN would be implemented at the state level, taking cognisance of the recovery strategies and initiatives, and monitoring the impact of the recovery initiatives implemented at the state and district levels.

He added that the proposed formation of the respective State Recovery Councils and related mechanisms would be submitted to the prime minister and Cabinet ministers for consideration and agreement.

Muhyiddin said MPN would be focusing on the country’s recovery wholly involving the various sectors and affected groups.

It would also be focusing on providing assistance to those doing business and to micro, small and medium-scale entrepreneurs for them to rise again and continue their businesses, as well as addressing post-pandemic poverty among urban and rural residents, he said.

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