Indonesia, Malaysia Establish Travel Corridor for Vaccinated Citizens

Bogor. Indonesia and Malaysia agreed on Wednesday to implement the travel corridor arrangement that will allow the flow of vaccinated people between the two neighbors and help accelerate economic recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The mutual border reopening agreement was reached during a meeting between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the Bogor Palace, West Java.

“We agree with the phased implementation of the travel corridor arrangement to support our economic recovery,” Jokowi said in a joint press conference after the meeting.

At the initial stage, the travel corridor will include Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Bali.

Also called as vaccinated travel lane, the arrangement applies to fully vaccinated citizens and requires them to have a negative Covid-19 test prior to the departure.

Ismail said 96 percent of Malaysian adults have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, in addition to 65 percent of children aged between 12 and 17.

He said both governments will soon issue a joint statement for speedy implementation of the border reopening.

During his first Indonesian trip as prime minister, Ismail also delivered assurance for improved welfare of migrant workers from the giant neighbor.

“We have made several changes, including the Workers' Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) that has been amended to provide comfortable housing for foreign workers, including those from Indonesia,” he said.

He added that his government introduced a complaint system channeled directly to the Human Resources Ministry to address reports of unpaid or late salaries and other issues.

The prime minister also expressed interest in the Jokowi government’s plan to relocate the national capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, saying involvement by Malaysian companies in the mega project could be mutually beneficial.