KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — The special ministerial meeting on Covid-19 has decided to permit expatriates currently residing in Malaysia to depart from the country for emergency or medical reasons, said Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
However, he said it must be understood they will not be allowed to re-enter Malaysia so long as the border controls introduced during the movement control order remain in effect.
“For foreign citizens without the appropriate travel documentation, they must first get the necessary documents from their respective embassies,” Ismail said in a statement.
Similarly, the meeting also decided that foreign citizens will no longer be allowed to work on domestic fishing vessels, to ensure the country’s fish supply remains sufficient.
“Nonetheless, foreign citizens must first seek permission to leave their countries from their respective governments beforehand.
“They must also apply for a Temporary Employment Pass from the Immigration Department, as well as undergo Covid-19 screening and the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Employers must also provide accommodations for their foreign crew,” he said.
Yesterday 65,959 inspections were conducted by the police-led compliance operations task force to ensure public adherence to the recovery movement control order’s (RMCO) standard operating procedures.
Approximately 3,393 teams involving 15,116 personnel took part; 53 individuals were arrested for RMCO violations, with eight of them remanded and the remaining 45 issued compounds.
To date, the Ops Benteng operations between the police, Armed Forces, Maritime Enforcement Agency, and the Border Security Agency have conducted 68 roadblocks nationwide to prevent the entry of undocumented foreigners via ratlines. Seven were apprehended at the roadblocks for immigration offences.
