Malaysia to start phased travel corridor with Indonesia

Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to implement a travel corridor between the two countries through the travel corridor arrangement or vaccinated travel lane arrangement, as both countries are recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the relevant ministers will refine the initiative so that the border between the two countries involving the Kuala Lumpur-Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Lumpur-Bali-Kuala Lumpur routes can be opened.

“A joint statement will be made to announce the opening of the border between Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said at a joint press conference with President Joko Widodo at Istana Bogor in conjunction with his inaugural three-day official visit which began on Tuesday.

On Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, he assured that their welfare and protection will continue to be preserved.

Ismail said the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) amended last year guarantees comfortable accommodation for employees, not only for Malaysians but also for foreigners.

He also gave his assurance that the MoU on Recruitment and Protection of Indonesian Domestic Workers in Malaysia between the human resources ministry and the Ministry of Manpower of Indonesia will be finalised as soon as possible.

He said Indonesian workers can take advantage of the Malaysian government’s extension of the recalibration programme until the end of this year by either returning home voluntarily or working legally.

Cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia in the field of culture will also be enhanced through the joint listing on Unesco of several other collectively inherited cultural heritage items, the prime minister said.

In relation to the delimitation of the maritime border between the two countries, Ismail gave his assurance that Malaysia remains committed to reaching a solution to finalise the issue.

“There are four related issues; two issues have been resolved and can be signed,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ismail and Jokowi agreed that the Myanmar issue needs to be addressed well as the impact of the problem in the country has had an effect on Malaysia in terms of the arrival of Rohingya refugees who now number more than 200,000.