Malaysia and Indonesia are expected to introduce travel for vaccinated people of both countries next year.
Hermono, the Ambassador of Indonesia to Malaysia, revealed this to the press today, saying that Indonesian officials are working with Malaysian counterparts to ensure a smooth process for travelers, including checking on each other’s COVID-19 contact-tracing measures. It is uncertain whether the emergence of the Omicron variant, which has surfaced in Malaysia, will disrupt plans to reopen.
“So far, the inspection has been conducted smoothly and the technical teams went to Singapore to conduct the same inspection there,” Hermono told reporters today, regarding checks on Malaysia’s MySejahtera COVID-19 contact-tracing app, which is similar to Indonesia’s infections tracker, Peduli Lindungi.
Malaysia and Indonesia are planning to reopen travel between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur and Bali. Both countries are also working to recognize each others’ vaccines and standardize the COVID-19 testing regime, Hermono added.
Indonesian officials were in Singapore last week for the launch of a separate travel lane with the city-state, which also reopened to Malaysia in the same period.
Malaysia and Singapore have announced additional precautionary measures in light of the Omicron variant. Travelers are now required to also take the Antigen Rapid Test on the third and seventh day of arrival in either country. The Omicron variant was detected in Malaysia on Friday based on old test samples from a student who had traveled from South Africa and transited through Singapore.
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