KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — The government will not arbitrarily open the country’s borders to foreign travellers as permission for entry will depend on the COVID-19 situation in their countries of origin, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.
Right now, he said the government only allowed those who were fully vaccinated to enter the country, but the borders are still closed for tourists.
“If we were to open the country’s borders to foreign travellers, every development (related to COVID-19) in their countries of origin will be taken into consideration.
“In every decision, we (the government) will seek the advice and recommendations from the Ministry of Health based on their risk assessments. We will not arbitrarily open the borders,” he said during question time at the Dewan Negara sitting today.
The Prime Minister was replying to Senator Datuk Razali Idris on whether the government had a backup crisis management plan if the number of COVID-19 cases spiked again following the spread of new variants if the borders were to be opened.
Sources: BERNAMA