Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming and Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, both of DAP, criticised the statement by National Recovery Council (NRC) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin on the proposed reopening of the borders as a “total lack of coordination and communication”.

“The manner in which this announcement was handled shows the total lack of coordination and communication between the NRC chairman, the prime minister and key Cabinet ministers,” they said in a joint statement today.

Muhyiddin had said on Feb 8 that the NRC had proposed for Malaysia’s borders to be open to travellers without the need for quarantine as early as March 1.

However, defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein then revealed that the proposal had yet to be discussed by the Cabinet and finalised.

Ong and Yii said this had led to confusion and uncertainty among policymakers and the public, and called for better coordination.

“The government must set a clear and coordinated pathway towards reopening our borders safely while balancing the need to protect the health and security of our people,” they said.

To do so, they recommended that countries be categorised into different risk levels based on their Covid-19 public health response and vaccination rates.

They also suggested vaccinated travel lanes to be established for lower-risk countries allowing fully vaccinated travellers into Malaysia. Once tested negative in Malaysia, these travellers could then be released without quarantine.

Ong and Yii also called for the healthcare capacity to be enhanced with an increase of the workforce and repurposing of hospital beds in preparation for the border reopening.

“With our high vaccination and booster rates, there should be a clear pathway towards the safe and orderly reopening of our borders to quarantine-free travel,” they said.

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