Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday clarified that Malaysia’s border will most likely reopen in the second quarter of 2022, asserting that such a timeline is a much more realistic target for our country.
As reported by national news agency Bernama, Khairy further elaborated that Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had given the Health Ministry two weeks to prepare guidelines for border reopening, not two weeks to reopen the Malaysian border. He added that the matter needs prior discussion at several levels, including being presented to the Covid-19 Pandemic Management Committee chaired by the Prime Minister as well as the Covid-19 Quartet Ministers before being brought to Cabinet.
Speaking to reporters in Batu Pahat yesterday, the Health Minister stressed,
“And that is why a huge decision as this cannot be made at the MOH level as this is a major policy. I expect early in the second quarter of the year as a realistic target, but let the Prime Minister decide on this,”
Previously, the National Recovery Council chaired by former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin proposed for Malaysia’s border to reopen on 1 March 2022, a proposal that has since been squashed by current Prime Minister Ismail Sabri who clarified that the proposal is yet to be discussed by the Cabinet.
What do you guys think of Khairy’s suggestion for our border to reopen in the second quarter of 2022? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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