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PETALING JAYA: Foreign spouses of Malaysians can now enter Malaysia from 23 countries, although travel from these countries remains prohibited, the government announced today.
Chief Security Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the waiver was granted to spouses despite the fact that Malaysia had not reopened its borders to the 23 countries.
“They are not restricted as long as they get permission from the Immigration Department by applying through My Travel Pass and complying with all SOPs, including the full cost of quarantine,” he said, according to Bernama.
The countries are: USA, UK, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, France, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Russia, Peru, Colombia, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Iran, Saudi Arabia Arabia and Iraq.
The decision was made hours after an appeal by the human rights commission, Suhakam, for a review of the entry ban so that Malaysian mothers could return home accompanied by their foreign spouses.
Suhakam Children’s Commissioner Noor Aziah Mohd Awal said the pandemic had forced many mothers to choose between giving birth to their child abroad, at the risk of the child becoming stateless, or returning to Malaysia but being separated from their spouses for months.
Malaysia imposed an entry ban on citizens of 23 countries in September after a spike in Covid-19 cases.
The Support Group for Foreign Spouses said today that many children born to Malaysian mothers are raised in hotel rooms abroad without access to vaccinations or education.
The group’s co-founder, Bina Ramanand, said 205 mothers had reported that their spouses were stranded abroad in August, with 44 of them pregnant or raising their newborns without their parents.
Sabah adopts federal travel ban list of 23 countries
The Sabah state government said today that it had decided to adopt the federal government’s travel ban in 23 countries. In September, the previous state government had banned visitors from only three countries, namely India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Housing and Local Government Minister Masidi Manjun said long-term pass holders that have been banned include those with permanent residence permits, the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) program, all expatriates, spouses of citizens Malaysians and holders of student passes and temporary work visit documents.
Masidi said there were certain exceptions, including diplomats and their dependents, crew and professional workers in the oil and gas industry, and crew members on marine vessels.
On Covid-19, Masidi said there was an accumulation of 4,496 virus test samples still unprocessed, of which 64% will be processed in Sabah and the rest in the peninsula.
It said 12.15% of the 25,441 cumulative cases of Covid-19 statewide, or 3,030 cases, involved infants and children under the age of 12, of which 1,241 cases involved children under the age of five and 191 cases. to babies under one year of age.
