Home Latest News Malaysia Bans Entry of 23 Countries, Including Pakistan

Malaysia Bans Entry of 23 Countries, Including Pakistan

by Staff Report

File photo. Farooq Naeem—AFP

In Facebook post, senior defense minister says ban applies on any country with more than 150,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases

Malaysia on Monday announced a ban on entry from visitors of 23 countries that have recorded more than 150,000 COVID-19 cases, including Pakistan, India and the United States.

In a posting on its official Facebook page, Malaysia’s Immigration Department said that it was banning any entry of travelers from the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Colombia, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Iran, United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Iraq, Philippines, and Indonesia.

It said that the restrictions were being imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

On Sept 1, Senior Defense Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced a ban on entry of long-term visit pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines due to a spike in COVID-19 cases in those countries. On Sept. 3, he said that the ban would now apply on any country with more than 150,000 cumulative infections of the novel coronavirus.

According to Yaakob, the ban covers six categories of entry visas, including travelers with a permanent resident status; Malaysia My Second Home program participants; expatriates, including professional visit pass holders, and resident pass holders. It also bars spouses of Malaysian citizens and their children, as well as students from the listed countries who want to return to Malaysia.

The senior minister has said that while the ban applies to all travelers, the government would grant exemptions for emergency cases or matters pertaining to bilateral relations, adding that this would require special permission from the Immigration Department.

There are currently 27.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, with 896,867 deaths. The majority of the global cases have been reported from the 23 countries whose entry has been restricted by Malaysia.

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