THE Penang government welcomes the recent announcement by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on the reopening of international borders.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said that a realistic target for borders to reopen is early in the second quarters of this year.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said he welcomed the announcement by the minister.
“It is better than the earlier announcement made by National Recovery Council (NRC) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who had recommended for the country’s borders to reopen for quarantine-free travel as early as March 1.
“The Covid-19 cases in the country are still rising, and we believe that there is no hurry for border reopening.
“It needs to be planned cautiously and carefully, taking into consideration the people’s safety and livelihood.
“I believe that the MoH knows what to do. The ministry has the statistics with regard to Covid-19.
“And when the time is right, I am sure the ministry will propose to Prime Miniter Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for border reopening,” he said when asked about the matter after launching the charity project by Rose Charities Malaysia at Penang Seniors Digital Resource Centre at Codrington Avenue in Pulau Tikus today.
Khairy, quoted by an English daily, said the Health Ministry would come up with the standard operating procedure (SOP) for border reopening, and there are several stages to go through for it to be approved.
“I will present the SOP to the Covid-19 pandemic management committee, which is chaired by the Prime Minister and to the quartet of ministers led by Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
“Finally, I will present it to the Cabinet for the approval as it involves a huge national policy, as the decision to open up the country’s borders is not under the Health Ministry,” he said.
On Feb 18, Ismail Sabri has said that the Health Ministry had been given two to three weeks to present proposals and SOPs to the Cabinet for the reopening of the country’s borders.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Alissala Thian
Video by Chan Kok Kuan