Following the recent announcement made by Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Bin Yaakob, Prime Minister of Malaysia, that the country is transitioning into the endemic phase, Malaysia is set to reopen its border for international travellers including business travellers effective 1st April 2022. Therefore, the One Stop Centre (OSC) which was established by the Malaysian Government on 2nd October 2020 to facilitate the movement of business travellers following the gradual opening of the local economy post Movement Control Order (MCO) period, will be phased out effective 1st April 2022.
This is a positive step forward to economic recovery and Malaysia’s ability to continue attracting high-value and high-impact investments. Fully vaccinated travellers may enter Malaysia without prior approval from Malaysian authorities and are not subject to mandatory quarantine upon arrival.
Drawing the curtains of the OSC’s platform for Short Term Business Travellers entering Malaysia, investors are no longer required to apply for Entry Permission and Quarantine Mandatory Exemption to the OSC platform through the Safe Travel portal (https://safetravel.mida.gov.my/).
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), manages the Centre, which is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Ministry of Health (MOH), and Immigration Department of Malaysia (IMI) to ensure the legitimacy and health status of travellers entering Malaysia. The Business Travellers Centre (BTC) at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) was also established as a key component of the OSC to facilitate Business Travellers’ movement – from entry to exit point.
Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MIDA expressed, “These initiatives were a quick response by the Government during a trying time globally to ensure Malaysia’s competitiveness and availability as an investment destination was not compromised and that the country remained open for business despite the national health emergency. Throughout its operations, the OSC and BTC facilitated a total of 3,223 companies approved for Short-Term Business Travellers, with an estimated total investment value of RM171.82 billion.”
“With the establishment of the OSC, investors’ travel requests were expedited for approval, allowing them to continue doing business in Malaysia. The initiative, with the tagline, “Welcoming Investors, Keeping you Safe”, was instrumental in facilitating high-profile foreign investment projects as investors were able to visit the country to cement their decision to invest and operate in Malaysia,” he added.
The Government through MIDA has been proactive in facilitating investors during the border closure. It will take an ongoing effort to protect public health and strengthen the Malaysian economy. MIDA commits to be responsive in undertaking innovative and aggressive investment promotion initiatives that are aligned with Malaysian investment aspirations as the country transitions to endemicity.
