Foreign nationals must pay quarantine fees at international entry points - Nadma

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign nationals who wish to enter Malaysia and have signed the Letter of Undertaking (LoU) as well as received the Travel Note should abide by the guidelines set by the government which include paying the quarantine charges at the International Entry Points.

The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) said the government had issued such a directive as many non-Malaysian Person Under Surveillance (PUS) at the quarantine stations have failed to settle the payment including the administrative and management charges, until the final day of their quarantine.

According to Nadma, non-Malaysians including dependents of Malaysians will be charged RM150 per day based on quarantine duration at hotel premises as stipulated by the Health Ministry, as well as administration and management charges of RM2,600.

In total, a non-Malaysian has to pay RM5,070 including RM250 for the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test upon arrival and RM120 for the Antigen Rapid Test Kit on the 13th day.

“The signed LoU consists of a pledge to pay all the charges (as explained in detail in the guidelines),” Nadma said in a statement today on the entry and quarantine process for non-Malaysian PUS arriving from overseas, here, yesterday.

Nadma also explained that the Immigration Department (JIM) has the right to issue the Not-to-Land order for non-Malaysian passengers who failed to produce their Travel Note.

Before entering Malaysia, an individual has to comply with the entry regulations as stipulated by JIM or other government agencies, whereby applicants must submit relevant documents together with a complete LoU via the authorised Malaysian Mission e-mail, at least three days before the departure date and if successful, a Travel Note will be issued by the Malaysian Mission, it said.

Since July 24 this year, the government has decided that all individuals entering Malaysia from overseas are subjected to mandatory quarantine at the gazetted quarantine stations based on provisions under subsection 15(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

Following the directive, all individuals returning from overseas and entering Malaysia via the International Entry Points have to bear the full quarantine cost.

However, Nadma has since received several complaints regarding payments by non-Malaysians.

-- BERNAMA