Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed in principle to implement a reciprocal green lane scheme to facilitate bilateral travel, pending approval by health authorities in both countries.
Malaysia’s tourism, arts and culture minister, Nancy Shukri, said in a press statement that the travel bubble initiative is part of the ministry’s recovery plans formulated last July to revitalise the country’s tourism sector.
She added that the ministry has also held discussions with the Health Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry to explore opportunities in creating travel bubbles with neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
“Its implementation, however, is subject to bilateral discussions and considerations based on the aspects of health, immigration, data tracking, and ongoing monitoring by relevant agencies in both countries,” she said.
The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) president, Francis Teo, welcomed the news but opined that strict adherence to SOPs and proper implementation is needed to guard against imported cases.
Teo also suggested airport and immigration authorities could look into providing permanent special lanes and counters dedicated to travellers to facilitate their movement upon arrival.
“We look forward to seeing the opening of borders between Malaysia and Indonesia, and anticipate that this would facilitate the movement of business travellers between the two countries. The success of this Reciprocal Green Lane would help support and speed up the opening of the business events industry in Malaysia.”
