Netizens in lockdown pooh-poohs Malaysia-Indonesia travel deal

 

Putrajaya's decision to explore travel arrangements with Indonesia has drawn scorn from Malaysians on the Internet.

Both countries agreed to explore the reciprocal green lane scheme when Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin visited the republic yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Ministry secretary-general Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob said that it can only be implemented if the health authorities of both countries deemed it safe to do so.

For now, the deal will only be limited to government officials and investors.

However, some netizens believe that the deal should be put off because the spread of Covid-19 was getting worse in both countries.

Moreover, some netizens pointed out that the situation was so severe that most Malaysians are barred from even leaving their districts, let alone the country.

"This is silly. I can't even visit my grandchild in Shah Alam because of Covid-19. But you can allow Indonesians to come here and Malaysians to bring back Covid-19. Are we desperate?" responded netizen Aza Mat Zin to a Facebook post on the matter by the Tourism, Art and Culture Ministry.

Another Facebook user known as Rosli Leman said he would agree with the government if they had chosen countries with low Covid-19 numbers, citing Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and China as examples.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak warned the proposed travel arrangement could risk the spread of new mutations of the Covid-19 virus, granted Indonesia's considerable size.

"Is Indonesia, which had 12,156 new cases and 191 deaths (yesterday), considered to be a country which has controlled Covid-19?" he asked on his Facebook page.

He also pointed out that both Singapore and Brunei have refused to ink a travel deal with Malaysia. - Mkini