KOTA KINABALU, 15 June 2020:
The Sabah government has decided to allow Malaysians wishing to enter the state to do so without having to undergo Covid-19 swab tests during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said in a statement today that Malaysians in the Peninsular, Sarawak and Labuan only had to fill up the Health Declaration Form and adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the Sabah Health Department (JKNS).
“The permission is also subject to existing regulations of the Immigration Department and other authorities. At the same time, JKNS will continue to monitor and assess health risks of those who enter Sabah.”
Previously, the state government only exempted civil servants, private sector workers, residents of the Federal Territory of Labuan and Sabahans from undergoing Covid-19 swab tests upon entering the state.
From June 10, all foreign diplomats are no longer required to undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine at the designated quarantine centres in the country, according to Wisma Putra.
The diplomats, however, are required to undergo the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Covid-19 test at the country of their origin.
“All documents have to be presented at the entry point upon arrival to Malaysia,” Wisma Putra said in a statement today.
The statement was issued in response to a news report on envoys awaiting “clearance” to return to Malaysia. According to the report, there are no exceptions given to foreign heads of missions, including US ambassador to Malaysia Shirin Lakhdhir, where mandatory quarantine is concerned.
The report also said the US State Department’s request to Wisma Putra for Lakhdhir to serve her quarantine at her residence in Jalan Langgak Golf was not approved.
Wisma Putra said the Malaysian government had made it compulsory for all arriving individuals to download and install the ‘MySejahtera’ application that would enable the Health Ministry to monitor their health condition and take immediate actions in providing the treatments required.
Wisma Putra said all actions taken by the Malaysian government were made based on consultations from experts and consensus by the relevant agencies involved in order to preserve public health and national security.
“These decisions were made collectively as efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 and should not be seen as an arbitrary or discriminatory act but derived from clear transparent laws and regulations, applicable to all persons entering the country.”
In the context of cooperation to effect the Covid-19 containment measures, inviolability of eligible diplomatic personnel, missions and residences would at all times be respected, provided that it was not against the spirit of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) 1961, it said.
“This is evident of Malaysia’s reverence to the VCDR.” The VCDR, Article 41 (1) justify the expressed provision “without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state”.
– Bernama