No more mandatory quarantine at designated centres for foreign diplomats - Wisma Putra

The diplomats, however, are required to undergo the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test at the country of their origin.

"All documents have to be presented at the entry point upon arrival to Malaysia," Wisma Putra said in a statement today.

The statement was issued in response to a news report on envoys awaiting "clearance" to return to Malaysia. According to the report, there are no exceptions given to foreign heads of missions, including the United States Ambassador to Malaysia Shirin Lakhdhir, where mandatory quarantine is concerned.

The report also said that the US State Department's request to Wisma Putra for Lakhdhir to serve her quarantine at her residence in Jalan Langgak Golf was not approved.

Wisma Putra said the Malaysian government had made it compulsory for all arriving individuals to download and install the 'MySejahtera' application that would enable the Health Ministry to monitor their health condition and take immediate actions in providing the treatments required.

Wisma Putra said all actions taken by the Malaysian government were made based on consultations from experts and consensus by the relevant agencies involved in order to preserve public health and national security.

"These decisions were made collectively as efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 and should not be seen as an arbitrary or discriminatory act but derived from clear transparent laws and regulations, applicable to all persons entering the country," it said.

In the context of cooperation to effect the COVID-19 containment measures, inviolability of eligible diplomatic personnel, missions and residences would at all times be respected, provided that it was not against the spirit of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR) 1961, it said.

"This is evident of Malaysia's reverence to the VCDR," it said.

The VCDR, Article 41 (1) justify the expressed provision "without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state".