On the 8 March 2022, the Prime Minister of Malaysia made his public address on the transitioning to the Endemic Phase.
SOPs that will be enforced in the transition to the Endemic Phase
This is a temporary phase before the country moves to the endemic phase, which can only be announced by the World Health Organisation.
Face masks must be worn in public |
| Premise owners must provide good ventilation system at their premise |
| Ensure cleanliness of hands |
| COVID-19 detection tests follows the method listed under National Testing Strategy |
Restrictions on the operating hours of the business premise will be repealed
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Entry Registration with MySejahtera remains mandatory
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| Solat Jemaah prayers in mosques/surau or prayer ceremonies in houses of worship other than Islam can be performed without physical distancing * Subject to the ruling of the State Religious Authority and Ministry of National Unity/ Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) |
| Other relaxations of COVID-19 curbs that will be in effect starting April 1 include the removal of the 50% capacity limit for event venues. While there will no longer be the 50% capacity limit, organizers are encouraged to continue physical distancing rules. |
Vaccination requirements:
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| Standardization of the frequency and method of the cleaning of premises for each ministry |
Individuals suspected or confirmed COVID-19 positive must adhere to all guidelines imposed by the Health Ministry
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The Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) has introduced a Special Voluntary Disclosure & Amnesty (VA) Programme to encourage taxpayers to come forward and voluntarily declare any indirect taxes, duties, or levies that have been underpaid or erroneously reported, as well as voluntarily settle any outstanding debts without dispute with the RMCD.
On 4 March 2022, AMCHAM held a special briefing session presented by Yi Han Koon, Manager (Indirect Tax) at PwC and Kelvin Hong, Senior Associate at Wong & Partners, and Wai Choong Chan, Executive Director, Indirect Tax Advisory Group who joined the discussion to answer questions from the participants.
Presenters gave attendees an in-depth explanation of key features of the VA program (like the eligibility to participate, incentives and benefits from participating, the application procedure, and next steps for those who would like to participate in the program
Special thanks to our guest speakers for helping us to navigate through the complexities of the subject matter.
AMCHAM had a productive meeting with the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) yesterday at the Executive Office to discuss the supply chain and impact of US companies on Malaysia beyond CAPEX.
Thank you Dato’ Dr. Badrul Hisham Kassim, Engku Ahmad Kamel and Raja Taufik Azad for your insightful input in this discussion. We look forward to more engagements with the IRDA.
On 28 February, H.E. Brian McFeeters, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia attended the Penang Science Cluster (PSC) Board of Directors meeting. The meeting was attended by U.S. company representatives in Penang including a number of AMCHAM member companies.
During the meeting, he expressed his appreciation for the companies’ investment in developing young STEM talent through their employees’ volunteer efforts and various corporate social responsibility programs. Some of the topics discussed include the talent gap in Penang, creating workforce-ready local undergrads, and labour abuse/forced labour situation in Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur, 24 February 2022 – Following the recent announcement by the National Recovery Council (NRC) that proposed Malaysia’s borders will be fully opened by March to support the country’s economic recovery, and as more countries regionally and internationally starting to open their borders, International SOS has rolled out a new risk management tool, the COVID Trip Planner. Supporting a safe and sustainable return to travel and enabling organisations to navigate the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 restrictions, the planner, which provides personalised information and advice on how to plan travel, is now accessible to its clients via the International SOS ManagerView and Assistance App.
Information provided in the planner is constantly updated as countries and regions change their COVID-19 related rules and requirements. This includes travel rules by destination, country visa requirements, testing requirements and quarantine mandates. Using the COVID Trip Planner, travellers will better understand how they can plan travel based on the passport they hold and their COVID-19 vaccination status. They will also have direct access to any necessary forms to complete prior to departure.
Jing Tan, Regional General Manager and Director, South East Asia, International SOS, shared, “Navigating the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 restrictions require travellers and businesses to be updated on the latest international and domestic border requirements. With more employees returning to travel (for both business and leisure), organisations need to constantly monitor and update their travel programmes to support their safe return to travel.”
He continued, “The pandemic has added more complexity to travel, and it can be difficult for businesses to keep track of all the changing rules globally. Currently it takes 9 times longer to plan for travel during the pandemic with significantly more compliance requirements and documentation. Our COVID Trip planner is extremely useful as it takes a lot of the burden and stress out of travel planning. As borders continue to open up, Malaysian and South East Asian organisations do need to be ready to take advantage of the new opportunities to do business internationally, but at the same time they have to be conscious of ensuring their employees’ health and safety, and that they get the right support while travelling for meetings and events.”
Dr Chan Yanjun, Medical Director, Singapore & Malaysia, International SOS, added, “Omicron sparked another wave of travel bans and many countries had to take the decision to reverse their border easing in fear of the highly transmissible variant. We expect travel regulations to continuously evolve, and the impact of COVID-19 may even transform the way we travel for many years to come. Each trip may require a risk management process based on the destination, need for travel, as well as additional COVID-19 restrictions.”
International SOS has been supporting thousands of organisations to navigate the complexity and changing regulations since the start of the pandemic. It continues to enhance its technology to support the needs of travellers. The launch of the COVID Trip Planner promotes a safe and sustainable return to travel for many organisations as they navigate the complexity of complying with the changing regulations and ensuring safe business travel decisions are made. Users of the COVID Trip Planner will also have access to International SOS Assistance Centre 24/7 Support, enabling them to connect with medical or security professionals whenever needed.
To find out more about the solution, visit https://my.internationalsos.com/LP=8426.
