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(Image source: CNA)

鈥淢alaysia鈥檚 National Recovery Council (NRC) has agreed to fully open the country鈥檚 borders by March to support the country鈥檚 economic recovery.鈥� reported CNA.

On Tuesday (February 8), NRC chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin delivered the long-awaited news that Malaysian and international students have been anticipating: There is a high possibility for the nation to reopen its border to all countries by March - without mandatory quarantine.

What we know so far about Malaysia鈥檚 border reopening

COVID-19 has been around for almost 2 years by now.

Lives were lost. The economy was crippled. Studying abroad seemed like an impossible dream.

However, a sliver of hope emerges once again after the news of our border reopening broke out.

The question is: Why are we planning to reopen the border so soon to all countries when the omicron variant is currently at large?

鈥淭he Minister of Health said the Omicron variant is present all over the world and in the community, so we can鈥檛 choose (to open borders to selected countries),鈥� said Tan Sri, who was appointed head of NRC after he stepped down from his position as the Prime Minister last August.

The decision was made for the sake of the nation鈥檚 economic recovery that was heavily impacted by the movement control order (MCO). The Edge Markets reported Malaysia鈥檚 decline of 5.6% in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, which was the .

Given the fact that the tourism sector plays a central role in Malaysia鈥檚 economy, reopening the borders makes a lot more sense.聽

With more international tourists coming, the number of investors will gradually increase, thus contributing to the recovery of Malaysia鈥檚 dwindling economy.

How does this benefit universities and students?

Before NRC鈥檚 recommendation to reopen the border, foreigners were only allowed entry on a case-to-case basis, such as official business and emergencies.

They were required to comply with 7 to 10 days of mandatory quarantine while bearing the cost themselves.

If the mandatory quarantine is indeed abolished, foreigners including international students will only need to undergo COVID-19 tests before and after their arrival.

This means Malaysian students can finally study abroad and international students can now study in Malaysia without having to bear the quarantine cost (starting from RM150, depending on the chosen designated hotel).

According to New Straits Time, . Higher education institutions will see an improvement in the number of students, hence improving the nation鈥檚 income opportunities as well.

What鈥檚 the final verdict?

The proposed plan will need further discussions by the Cabinet and relevant authorities before it is finalised.聽

鈥淭his is a big decision, to reopen our borders. More so if countries that have a bilateral relationship with us don鈥檛 reciprocate and open up to our citizens.

This has to be discussed at the Cabinet level or the COVID-19 Pandemic Management Special Committee chaired by the prime minister,鈥� said Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein after a COVID-19 quarter ministerial meeting involving the ministers of health, finance, and communications and multimedia.

He had also directed the parties involved to consider the possibility of reopening Malaysia鈥檚 border by the timeline suggested by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, adding that the decision needs to be made according to the current situation.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Meanwhile, you can start planning for your higher education if you haven鈥檛 already! Check out these guides to help you begin:

Top Universities and Colleges in Malaysia
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