Bukit Gasing rep wants borders opened to those with proof of vaccination

 

The government should open its borders to all tourist and business travellers who have been vaccinated, said Bukit Gasing assemblyperson Rajiv Rishyakaran.

The DAP lawmaker said it is high time that Malaysia seriously considers this move now that 225 million vaccine shots have been given worldwide.

"The number of vaccinated people will be increasing as time goes by and we should not hesitate to move forward.

"Several countries around the world have opened their borders to vaccinated travellers allowing them to skip the quarantine from early this year, with more to follow suit," said Rajiv.

He added that all decisions to open up the economy, including restaurant dine-in, have been done to balance the risk of transmission versus economic survival.

He cited tourism as the third biggest contributor to Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP), after manufacturing and commodities.

"In 2018, tourism contributed RM94.5 billion or 5.9 percent of the country’s GDP. The air transport industry, including airlines and its supply chain, is estimated to support US$5.2 billion of the GDP. 

"In total, 3.5 percent of the GDP is supported by inputs to the air transport sector and foreign tourists arriving by air.

"Unfortunately, both these industries have recorded massive losses, debt restructuring, lay-offs, bail-outs and even bankruptcy last year at great expense to our economy," he said.

Rajiv said Malaysia could revive and rejuvenate its tourism and airline industries if we capitalise on this opportunity.

"If we are the first Asian country to open up our borders, we will be able to capture all the tourists who wish to travel after being in lockdown for so long."

With the Meeting, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (Mice) sector allowed to reopen, this is also an opportunity to attract business travellers and revitalise the country’s international trade, he added.

There are already discussions afoot among major airline players around the world on the implementation of a health travel pass or a vaccination passport.

"Countries that have opened their borders require a vaccination passport and some of them require a negative PCR test from 72 hours before.

"All we need to do is emulate, and maybe refine, the strategies and safety measures implemented by these countries, and this needs to be done immediately to boost our economy.

“If we wait until next year to open our borders, the negative economic impact on the tourism and airline industries, and by extension, our country, could be irreversible by then," he said. 

Rajiv strongly urged the government to consider opening borders and seize the golden opportunity that might serve as a lifeline. 

"While we should not lose focus in battling the Covid-19 pandemic, we should also be thinking of ways to relieve the huge hit our economy took last year,” he concluded. - Mkini