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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has emphasized that the government will not rush to reopen the country’s borders.
On the contrary, border controls would be tightened, including increased efforts to control the entry of illegal immigrants to curb the spread of COVID-19, it said on Tuesday (September 15).
READ: The Malaysian recovery movement control order extended until December 31, tourists are not yet allowed in: PM Muhyiddin
Muhyiddin said that while tighter border controls would pose a bit of a challenge, especially for Malaysians with overseas deals, such stringent action is needed to protect the country and its people from the new coronavirus.
“We must strike a fine balance between protecting the lives and livelihoods of all Malaysians,” he said in a televised address on the COVID-19 situation in the country.
Malaysia’s borders are closed, except for commercial purposes, including investment and education, with strict adherence to stipulated standard operating procedures.
READ: Malaysia bans entry to citizens of countries with more than 150,000 COVID-19 cases
The prime minister announced that a total of 1,017 foreign visitors to the country tested positive for COVID-19 from April 3 to September 15.
He said the COVID-19 situation in other countries showed that some nations were now facing a new wave of infections and stressed that the same could happen in Malaysia if people became complacent.
READ: Pub and nightclub activities top the list of COVID-19 violations during the control order phase of Malaysia’s recovery movement
Apart from the measures taken by the government, the practice of new norms among the people was the most important factor in efforts to break the chain of infection, Muhyiddin said.
“I hope that we will all continue to be strong, resilient and disciplined in facing the pandemic. Remind us that we must continue to cultivate these new norms in our daily lives,” he said.
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