The COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia is part of the ongoing
worldwide pandemic of
coronavirus disease 2019
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
() caused by
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
(). , with over 4,945,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, over 27,000 active cases, over 36,648 deaths, and more than 66 million tests, the country is currently ranked third in the number of COVID-19 cases in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
behind
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
and
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, and fourth in the number of COVID-19 deaths in Southeast Asia behind Indonesia,
the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, and Vietnam.
Since January 2020, the medical response and preparedness for the outbreak in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
are overseen by the Director-General of Health
Noor Hisham Abdullah
Noor Hisham bin Abdullah (born Yew Ming Seong; 21 April 1963) is a Malaysian civil servant and endocrine surgeon who has served as the Director-General of Health since March 2013. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Deputy Director Ge ...
under the
Health Ministry
A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...
of three successive
governments
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
led by the
Mahathir,
Muhyiddin
Tan Sri Dato' Haji Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a Malaysian politician who served ...
and
Ismail Sabri cabinets. The first cases in Malaysia were confirmed among travellers from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
via
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
on 25 January 2020, and continued to be limited to a few imported cases until March 2020, when several local clusters emerged. The most notable was a
Tablighi Jamaat religious gathering in
Sri Petaling
Sri Petaling (also known as Bandar Baru Sri Petaling) is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. The township is located in the south of the city, within the constituency of Seputeh, and is bordered by the towns of Happy Garden, Taman OUG, ...
,
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
that sparked a massive spike in local cases and imported cases to neighbouring countries. By the end of March, the total number of cases had risen from below 30 to over 2,000 active cases across every
state and federal territory in the country.
In response to the surge of cases in March 2020, the Malaysian government led by
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Muhyiddin Yassin
Tan Sri Dato' Haji Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a Malaysian politician who serv ...
imposed a nationwide
lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
known as the
Movement Control Order
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy F ...
(MCO), which came into effect on 18 March 2020.
The MCO, which was supposed to be ended on 31 March 2020, was extended to early May 2020. By early May, the MCO had led to a gradual decline in daily infections. The government progressively relaxed lockdown restrictions in a staggered phase; beginning with the "Conditional Movement Control Order" (CMCO) on 4 May 2020, which allows most business sectors to be reopened under strict
standard operating procedures (SOPs), followed by the "Recovery Movement Control Order" (RMCO) on 10 June 2020. The government had planned to end the RMCO on 31 August 2020 but due to the continuous detection of imported cases, measures were extended until the end of the year, with several sectors remaining closed and
strict travel restrictions from several countries remaining in place.
The third wave of COVID-19 infections in the country occurred as a result of the
Sabah state election in September 2020 and several outbreaks at
Top Glove
Top Glove Corporation Berhad is a Malaysian rubber glove manufacturer who also specialises in face masks, dental dams, and other products. The company owns and operates 50 manufacturing facilities in Malaysia, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. Th ...
facilities in late 2020.
The Malaysian government responded by restoring CMCO restrictions in most states since November 2020 to counter the outbreak. By mid-January 2021, the pressure of COVID-19 on the
country's healthcare system led to the reintroduction of MCO restrictions across various Malaysian states and federal territories, which was extended to March 4, 2021.
A
nationwide state of emergency was also declared on 12 January 2021 by the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
, suspending
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
and
State Legislative assemblies and granting the Muhyiddin government emergency powers until 1 August 2021.
Due to a decline in new cases by early March 2021, the government lifted MCO restrictions in all states and federal territories. However, the restrictions were reinstated in several states in mid-April as infection cases rose again. With novel
SARS-CoV-2 variants
There are many variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some are believed, or have been stated, to be of particular importance due to their potenti ...
detected in Malaysia and a record surge in daily COVID-19 cases and deaths, the government reintroduced a nationwide MCO once more from May 12, 2021. The MCO was strengthened into a "total lockdown" from June 1 that was extended indefinitely, as the severe and continued spread of the
Delta variant
The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was a variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The Delta variant was named on 31 May 2021 and had spread to over 179 countries by 22 November 2021. The ...
led to Malaysia's healthcare system capacity being reached in some regions.
Following high
vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop immunity from a disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. In stimulating ...
rates in the adult population against COVID-19 and a decrease in the number of severe cases of the disease since September 2021, Malaysia announced its intention to transition to
treating COVID-19 as an endemic disease by the end of October 2021, with more generalised restrictions being eased. A fifth wave fueled by the
Omicron variant
Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
led to record daily cases in February and March 2022, but is marked by lower numbers of hospitalizations and deaths than during the spread of the Delta variant.
As of March 2022, the BA.2 Omicron subvariant was projected to be the dominant strain in the country.
The pandemic has had a severe
economic impact, devaluing
Malaysia's currency and shrinking its
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is ofte ...
, and has had
far-reaching effects on Malaysian society. The onset of the pandemic in early 2020 coincided with an
initially unrelated political crisis that hampered the government's early response,
and the repeated COVID-19 waves and emergency measures
exacerbated ongoing political instability throughout 2020 and 2021. This led to Muhyiddin's resignation following the collapse of his government, and the appointment of a
successor government under
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
, in August 2021.
The country's
vaccination programme, which commenced in late February 2021, has fully inoculated over 80% of the population and 97% of adults .
Nomenclature
The
Ministry of Health originally referred to this disease as the "2019 Novel Coronavirus".
Some media referred to this disease as the "Wuhan Coronavirus".
During the onset of the outbreak, the Malaysian media called it the "''radang paru-paru Wuhan''" in Malay, meaning "Wuhan Pneumonia". Then some media changed the name to "''radang paru-paru koronavirus baru''" (new coronavirus pneumonia) in Malay. The Ministry of Health and most media now refer to the disease as "COVID-19", as suggested by the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) on 11 February 2020.
Background
On 12 January 2020, the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) confirmed that a
novel coronavirus
Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...
was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
Unlike the
SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''seve ...
outbreak of 2003, the
case fatality ratio
In epidemiology, case fatality rate (CFR) – or sometimes more accurately case-fatality risk – is the proportion of people diagnosed with a certain disease, who end up dying of it. Unlike a disease's mortality rate, the CFR does not take int ...
for COVID-19 has been much lower,
but the
transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
Transmission timeline
Malaysia reported its first three cases on 25 January 2020, all of whom were Chinese nationals who had visited the country.
Malaysia experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases following a four-day
Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat (, also translated as "propagation party" or "preaching party")
is a transnational Deobandi Islamic Dawah, missionary movement
that focuses on exhorting Muslims to be more religiously observant
and encouraging fellow memb ...
event
Event may refer to:
Gatherings of people
* Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion
* Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest
* Event management, the organization of e ...
that was held at Kuala Lumpur's "Masjid Jamek
Sri Petaling
Sri Petaling (also known as Bandar Baru Sri Petaling) is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. The township is located in the south of the city, within the constituency of Seputeh, and is bordered by the towns of Happy Garden, Taman OUG, ...
" between 27 February and 1 March 2020.
By 20 March, 48% of the country's COVID-19 cases (3,347) had been linked to the Sri Petaling tabligh cluster. In response to the rise in cases nationally,
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Muhyiddin Yassin
Tan Sri Dato' Haji Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a Malaysian politician who serv ...
announced that Malaysia would enter into a partial
lockdown
A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely.
The term is used for a prison ...
on 18 March 2020.
On 17 March, Malaysia reported its first two deaths from the coronavirus: a 60-year-old priest from Emmanuel Baptist Church in
Kuching
Kuching (), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak River ...
, Sarawak and a 34-year-old participant of the Sri Petaling tabligh jamaat from
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru (), colloquially referred to as JB, is the capital city of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is located at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia,along the north bank of the Straits of Johor, opposite of the city-state Singapore. T ...
,
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
.
On 3 April, a spike in 217 new cases was reported, bringing the total number to 3,333. The Director-General of Health
Noor Hisham Abdullah
Noor Hisham bin Abdullah (born Yew Ming Seong; 21 April 1963) is a Malaysian civil servant and endocrine surgeon who has served as the Director-General of Health since March 2013. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Deputy Director Ge ...
attributed this spike to active detection in areas affected by
Enhanced Movement Controlled Order, a stricter version of the MCO. In response to rising cases, the Government extended the movement control order until 28 April.
On 1 May, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the country's lockdown would be eased on 4 May, allowing most businesses to reopen while maintaining a ban on mass gatherings. From 21 May, a spike of cases occurred among detainees at immigration detention centres in
Bukit Jalil
Bukit Jalil is an affluent suburb in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is bounded by the National Sports Complex on the east, the Shah Alam Expressway on the north, city boundaries to the west, and the Puchong–Sungai Besi Highway as well as city bou ...
and
Semenyih
Semenyih is a town and a mukim in Hulu Langat District in southeastern Selangor, Malaysia along the Kajang–Seremban road. It is southeast of downtown Kuala Lumpur and southeast of Kajang.
Etymology
The meaning of the name of the town is u ...
,
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
, causing the number of cases to rise to a total of 7,819 cases by 31 May.
On 20 July, Prime Minister Muhyiddin announced that the Malaysian Government would consider making face masks compulsory following the emergence of 13 clusters after the relaxation of lockdown restrictions on travel and businesses the previous month. By 31 August, there were 160 active cases with a total of 9,340 cases. A total of 9,054 had recovered while the death toll had risen to 127.
At least two regional outbreaks have occurred since July 2020. In late July and August, several clusters emerged in
Kedah
Kedah (), also known by its honorific Darul Aman (Islam), Aman and historically as Queda, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia, located in the northwestern part of Peninsular Malaysia. The state covers a total area ...
and
Sarawak
Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...
. In September 2020, a major outbreak in
Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
initially detected in two prisons led to a spike in community cases within that state. Following the
2020 Sabah state election, the number of cases rose across the country due to Sabah voters returning to work in other states. Malaysian authorities also attributed the surge of cases in Sabah to the entry of illegal immigrants from Indonesia. The country passed the 10,000 cases mark on 16 September 2020, and 11 deaths, primarily in Kedah and Sabah, were reported between the month ends of August and September.
Throughout December, the total number of cases climbed rapidly, reaching the 100,000 mark on 24 December.
On 23 December, the Malaysian Health Ministry confirmed that it had identified a new COVID-19 strain dubbed the "A701B" strain.
By 6 January 2021, the number of recovered had exceeded 100,000. On the same day, the Director General reported there were 252 active clusters in Malaysia. By 25 January 2021, Malaysia ranked 29th in a list of countries with the highest number of infections over a two-week period published by
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
, with 48,625 new infections during that period. On 18 February, the death toll exceeded the 1,000 mark, reaching 1,005 deaths.
By 22 May, the total number of cases had reached the 500,000 mark, reaching 505,115.
By 2 June 2021, the total number of recoveries had exceeded the 500,000 mark, reaching 501,898. On 28 June, the death toll exceeded 5,000, reaching 5,001.
On 26 July, the total number of cases exceeded the one million mark, reaching 1,013,438. By 5 August, the death toll had reached the 10,000 mark, reaching 10,019. By 7 August, the total number of recoveries had reached the 1 million mark, reaching 1,009,343.
By 11 September, the death toll had exceeded 20,000, reaching 20,419.
By 14 September, the total number of cases exceeded the two million mark, reaching 2,011,440. By 27 September, the total number of recoveries exceeded the two million mark, reaching 2,005,942. On 21 November, Malaysia's death toll exceeded the 30,000 thresholds, reaching 30,002.
On 13 February 2022, the total number of cases in Malaysia exceeded the 3 million mark, reaching 3,040,235. By 24 February, the total number of recoveries had reached the 3 million mark, reaching 3,018,172.
Federal government responses
Movement Control Order
2020
Beginning from 15 March, Malaysia saw a significant jump in active cases. The Prime Minister of Malaysia held a live nationwide telecast on 16 March 2020 at 10:00 pm (
UTC+8
UTC+08:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +08:00.
With an estimated population of 1.708 billion living within the time zone, roughly 24% of the world population, it is the most populous time zone in the world, as well as a ...
) to announce the decision of the federal government in implementing the Movement Control Order (MCO). Based on the live addressing that evening, six restrictions have been imposed:
# The public is prohibited from mass gatherings or attending massive events including religious, sports, social and cultural activities. All worshipping locations and business premises should be closed except for supermarkets, public markets, grocery stores and convenience stores that sells everyday necessities. For Muslims, all religious activities in mosques including
Friday prayers are adjourned in line with the decision made on 15 March 2020 by the Special Muzakarah Committee Meeting of the National Fatwa Council (MKI).
# Malaysians returning from abroad are required to undergo health check and self-quarantine for 14 days.
# Tourists and foreign visitors are restricted to enter the country.
# Closure of all kindergartens, government and private schools, including daily schools, boarding schools, international schools, tahfiz centres and other primary, secondary and pre-university institutions.
# Closure of all public and private higher education institution (IPTs) and skill training institutes.
# Closure of all government and private premises except for essential services (water, electricity, energy, telecommunications, postal, transportation, irrigation, oil, gas, fuel, lubricants, broadcasting, finance, banking, health, pharmacy, fire, prison, port, airport, safety, defence, cleaning, retail and food supply).
The order was originally to be in effect from 18 March to 31 March,
but has been extended four times as additional two-week "phases" over the course of two months:
* Phase 2, announced on 25 March, extends the MCO to 14 April,
as new cases continued to climb.
* Phase 3, announced on 10 April, extends the MCO to 28 April,
as the number of cases was projected by the WHO to peak in mid-April.
* Phase 4, announced on 23 April, extends the MCO to 12 May.
On 1 May, the Malaysian Government announced that it will be relaxing Movement Control Order restrictions from 4 May as part of its plan to gradually restart the country's economy in three different phases, with public transportation services resuming on 4 May. As part of the fourth phase of the Movement Control Order, two family members will be allowed to buy food and other daily essentials. The easing of MCO drew criticisms from politicians and healthcare experts over concerns that it was too much too soon, and by 3 May, over 420,000 members of the public had signed a
petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication.
In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offici ...
objecting to the conditional MCO and calling for the government to stay with the MCO.
* On 10 May, the Conditional Movement Control Order was extended until 9 June, the fourth extension since 18 March. Unlike the others, this extension is scheduled to last about a month as Phase 1 of post-lockdown of the restrictions.
* On 6 June, the Director-General confirmed that the movement control order would remain in force since Malaysia is still being monitored under the Prevention and Control of Infections Diseases Act 1988.
On 7 June, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the Conditional Movement Control Order would end on 9 June, with the country moving into the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) phase which would be implemented until 31 August 2020.
* On 28 August, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the Recovery Movement Control Order would be extended until 31 December 2020.
* Following the third wave, on 12 October, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the government has agreed to enforce Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya effective from 12.01am on 14 October to 27 October 2020.
* On 20 October, employees in the private and public sectors, at the management and supervisory levels, in areas under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) which are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Labuan and Sabah have been instructed to work from home starting Thursday, 22 October.
* On 7 November, Senior Minister
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
announced that the Malaysian government would be reinstating its CMCO throughout peninsular Malaysia with the exception of Kelantan, Perlis, and Pahang between 9 November and 6 December 2020. In addition, CMCO measures for Sabah, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya, which were scheduled to end on 9 November, were extended until 6 December.
* Since 21 November 2020, the government gradually reimposed relaxed RMCO restrictions for most states except for some which would extend their CMCO until 14 January 2021.
2021
* On
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
of 2021, Senior Minister
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
announced that the government had extended RMCO to 31 March 2021 as the daily new cases remain high.
* On 11 January, Prime Minister
Muhyiddin Yassin
Tan Sri Dato' Haji Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a Malaysian politician who serv ...
reimposed MCO restrictions on mobility, economic activities, and public gatherings in the states of Malacca, Johor, Penang, Selangor, Sabah and the
federal territories
A federal territory is an administrative division under the direct and usually exclusive jurisdiction of a federation's national government. A federal territory is a part of a federation, but not a part of any federated state. The states constit ...
of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Labuan between 13 and 26 January 2021 due to an ongoing surge of cases and deaths.
* On 2 February, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob extended MCO restrictions in all states except Sarawak from 5 to 18 February 2021.
* On 16 February, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the government would extend the MCO for Selangor, Johor, Penang and Kuala Lumpur until 4 March 2021. Meanwhile, Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, Kelantan, Melaka, Pahang and Sabah as well as the federal territories of Putrajaya and Labuan transitioned back into the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) from 19 February 2021.
* On 5 March, Selangor, Johor, Penang and Kuala Lumpur exited the Movement Control Order lockdown and entered the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
* In early May, the Malaysian government reinstated Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions in Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Sarawak, and Selangor in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases. Schools were closed and social and religious activities were banned. While some economic activities were allowed, eateries can only provide delivery and takeaway services.
* A nationwide MCO lockdown will be reinstated from 12 May to 7 June. Dining in, social activities and shopping areas will be banned, although workers are allowed to go to work and come back home. Inter-district and inter-state travel are banned.
* A nationwide "total lockdown" will be imposed between 1 and 28 June for all social and economic sectors, with only essential social and economic activities being allowed to operate during that period.
It was extended indefinitely, as the severe and continued spread of the virus led to Malaysia's healthcare system capacity being reached in some regions.
* On 15 June, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin introduced a four-phase National Recovery Plan (NRP) to help the country emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout.
2022
* On 3 January 2022, Sarawak and Kelantan moved to Phase 4 according to National Recovery Plan (NRP), ending movement restrictions in Malaysia.
* On 1 April 2022, Malaysia will move to endemic phase. All international borders will be reopened and mask mandate removed for outdoor spaces except for crowded areas and indoor spaces.
* On 1 May 2022, people will be able to enter public premises regardless of their vaccination status, except those who have tested positive for COVID-19 or unvaccinated travelers undergoing quarantine. Malaysia will also remove pre-flight and on-arrival testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers and those who have just recovered from COVID-19. Masks will remain mandatory for indoor activities and on public transport.
Emergency powers
On 25 October 2020, the
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
Sultan
Abdullah of Pahang
Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta'in Billah ( ms, السلطان عبدﷲ رعاية
الدين المصطفى بالله شاه الحاج ابن المرحوم سلط ...
rejected Prime Minister Muhyiddin's request for him to declare a
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
in response to a spike in COVID-19 cases throughout Malaysia.
On 16 December, Prime Minister Muhyiddin invoked a state of emergency to stop by-elections scheduled to be held in the Bugaya constituency of
Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
and the Gerik constituency in
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
scheduled for January 2021. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Abdullah had assented to the request to impose the states of emergency within these two electorates in response to a third wave of infections, which had risen to a total of 86,000 cases and 422 deaths by 16 December.
On 12 January 2021, King Abdullah of Pahang declared a national
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
until at least 1 August 2021 to curb the spread of COVID-19 and in response to a
political crisis
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
involving Prime Minister Muhyiddin's
Perikatan Nasional
The National Alliance ( ms, Perikatan Nasional; abbreviation, abbrev: PN) is a political coalition composed of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party (BERSATU), Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia (GERAKAN). This coa ...
government. Under this state of emergency, parliament and elections were suspended while the Malaysian government was empowered to introduce laws without approval.
On 26 July, the
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department is a member of Cabinet of Malaysia who administers a portfolio through the Prime Minister's Department.
List of Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department
The following individuals have been appo ...
of Parliament and Law,
Takiyuddin Hassan
Takiyuddin bin Haji Hassan (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: تقي الدين بن حاج حسن; born 24 November 1961) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian politician from the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a component party of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) ...
, had announced that the emergency ordinance and its subsequent rules and guidelines had been revoked on 21 July by the federal government. However, when questioned by the opposition on whether the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's consent was given for the revocation, their calls were not answered by the government.
Bans on mass gathering events
Immediately after the spikes of the cases which related to the
Sri Petaling
Sri Petaling (also known as Bandar Baru Sri Petaling) is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. The township is located in the south of the city, within the constituency of Seputeh, and is bordered by the towns of Happy Garden, Taman OUG, ...
Tabligh event, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that religious, social and sports mass gatherings must be cancelled or postponed until 30 April 2020. However, the end date for the ban on mass gathering events are subject to revision depending on the situation of the outbreak. In addition, Registrar of Societies (RoS) bans all
parties registered with RoS from organising any meeting and activities until 30 June 2020.
On 4 February 2021, Senior Minister
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
announced that
Chinese New Year family reunion dinners would only be allowed at their residences among family members from the same household. These "standard operating procedures" were criticised by several politicians and public figures including Deputy national unity minister
Ti Lian Ker
Ti Lian Ker (; born 25 October 1962) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian politician who has served as Dewan Negara, Senator since May 2020. He served as the Minister of Youth and Sports (Malaysia), Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports in the Barisan ...
and Member of Parliament
Ong Kian Ming
Dr. Ong Kian Ming (; born 12 September 1975), is a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) opposition coalition. He served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bangi from May ...
as "culturally insensitive" and unnecessary. The National Unity Ministry subsequently allowed Chinese New Year family reunions of 15 family members living within a 10 km radius that did not involve interstate or inter-district travel.
Disinformation
Some people have been
arrested
An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...
for allegedly spreading
false information
Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. It differs from disinformation, which is ''deliberately'' deceptive. Rumors are information not attributed to any particular source, and so are unreliable and often unverified, but can turn ou ...
about the COVID-19 pandemic. As of May 17, 2020, police and the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) have opened 265 investigations on COVID-19 related fake news. A total of 30 people have been charged, 11 were served with a warning notice and 18 others pleaded guilty.
On 11 March 2021, the government announced the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No.2) Ordinance 2021, which states that those who spread "
fake news
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...
" "by any means, with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public" could face a fine of RM100,000 or three years imprisonment or both.
Medical responses
The medical response and preparedness to the outbreak in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
is overseen by Director-General of Health
Noor Hisham Abdullah
Noor Hisham bin Abdullah (born Yew Ming Seong; 21 April 1963) is a Malaysian civil servant and endocrine surgeon who has served as the Director-General of Health since March 2013. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Deputy Director Ge ...
under the
Health Ministry
A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their o ...
of three successive governments. Preparations to stockpile equipment, detect and monitor cases, and treat COVID-19 patients were reported to have been initiated as early as 6 January 2020, following a
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) report on a
late-December 2019 outbreak of "pneumonia of unknown cause" in the city of
Wuhan
Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei, Hubei Province in the China, People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the List of cities in China ...
in Hubei, China.
Face masks
On 23 July 2020, Senior Minister
Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
announced that it will be compulsory for people to wear face masks in public spaces such as markets and public transportation from 1 August, with violators facing a RM1,000 (US$235) fine.
On 27 April 2022, the Malaysian Government confirmed that it would lift face mask requirements for outdoor settings from early May 2022.
On 7 September 2022, Health Minister
Khairy Jamaluddin
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar ( Jawi: ; born 10 January 1976) is a Malaysian politician. He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 ...
announced that face masks would be optional for most indoor spaces excluding health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes and public transportation.
Testing and treatment centres
On 5 January 2020, the
National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) under the
Ministry of Health Malaysia
The Ministry of Health ( ms, Kementerian Kesihatan), abbreviated MOH, is a ministry of the Government of Malaysia that is responsible for health system: health behaviour, cancer, public health, health management, medical research, health system ...
began operation.
By early February 2020, 57 hospitals were reported to provide screening services for coronavirus,
[ while among them, 26 government hospitals are responsible for the confirmation of coronavirus and the suspected patients. With the rapid increase of infections, a further total of 409 sites across the country have been gazetted by the federal government as quarantine zones for coronavirus patients comprising public universities, community colleges, technical institutes, former ]National Service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
(PLKN) camps, training centres, polytechnics and hotels owned by federal ministries, departments, agencies and statutory bodies. As of 2 May 2020, 5,484 beds at 40 hospitals, 3,873 beds (in addition to 2,100 beds on standby) at 26 hospital extension centres/low-risk COVID-19 centres, 422 ICU beds, and 1,059 ventilators have been allocated for COVID-19 patients.
Based on the January 29 circular from the Malaysia Ministry of Health, foreigners in Malaysia would not have to pay for COVID-19 testing or outpatient treatment at government hospitals. This announcement was reiterated by the Director-General of Health Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah on March 23, 2020, when asked to clarify a statement made by the Prime Minister that foreigners would have to pay for COVID-19 testing.
On 8 April 2020, a consortium of associated laboratories in Malaysia comprising Gribbles Pathology, Quantum Diagnostics an
Clinipath Malaysia
launched the country's largest COVID-19 collection and testing programme to increase testing capacity. Malaysian public universities have also been providing research and scientific capacity with 10 diagnostic laboratories at public higher learning institutions in the country nationwide have been called as part of a joint initiative by the Higher Education and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministries to help the Health Ministry in conducting coronavirus tests daily. Despite further capabilities to conduct more tests, the Health Ministry had stated that the country is yet to find its suitable rapid test kits to solve the increasing backlog of pending result cases along with the revelation that the existing supply of coronavirus reagents test kits could only last for another week which causing the Health Ministry to source from other countries including Singapore. As a response, the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong) has called on the federal government to ensure sufficient coronavirus test kit reagents for the country especially among Malaysia's eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak which are reportedly struggling to source test kit reagents.
The Solidarity trial
The Solidarity trial for treatments is a multinational Phase III-IV clinical trial organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners to compare four untested treatments for hospitalized people with severe COVID-19 illness. The tria ...
, launched by WHO to research and compare the safety and effectiveness of treatment protocols which included chloroquine
Chloroquine is a medication primarily used to prevent and treat malaria in areas where malaria remains sensitive to its effects. Certain types of malaria, resistant strains, and complicated cases typically require different or additional medi ...
, hydroxychloroquine
Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, is a medication used to prevent and treat malaria in areas where malaria remains sensitive to chloroquine. Other uses include treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, an ...
, interferon-beta
The type-I interferons (IFN) are cytokines which play essential roles in inflammation, immunoregulation, tumor cells recognition, and T-cell responses. In the human genome, a cluster of thirteen functional IFN genes is located at the 9p21.3 cyto ...
, lopinavir/ritonavir
Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), sold under the brand name Kaletra among others, is a fixed-dose combination antiretroviral medication for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. It combines lopinavir with a low dose of ritonavir. It is generall ...
and remdesivir
Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, Text was copied from this source which is © European Medicines Agency. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication developed by the ...
, would be conducted in nine government hospitals across the country.
On 3 July 2020, Minister of Health Adham Baba
}
Dato' Sri Dr. Adham bin Baba ( ms, أدهم بن بابا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 6 October 1962) is a Malaysian doctor and a politician who served as Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation from 2021 to 2022. P ...
announced that both Malaysian citizens and foreign nationals travelling to Malaysia would be required to pay fees when undergoing COVID-19 tests under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Fee for Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) Detection Test) Regulations 2020, which came into effect on 29 June.
On 24 December 2020, Malaysian Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
confirmed that the National Security Council
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
would require the compulsory screening of all foreign workers from 1 January 2021 so that action can be taken against employers who refuse to have their workers tested.
By 16 May 2021, Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rates at hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Sarawak, Kedah, and Perak had reached 80% due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some hospitals have used up all their ICU beds to treat COVID-19 patients. As a result, Malaysian authorities have been forced to deploy military-built hospitals and field hospitals. The Health Ministry has been forced to postpone elective surgery operations while semi-emergencies have been transferred out of COVID-19 hospitals.
By 15 July 2021, hotels were being converted into quarantine and treatment centres for low-risk COVID-19 patients due to a rapid increase in nationwide cases placing a strain on the country's hospitals. Hospitals across the country particularly the Klang Valley were also forced to turn away patients due to a shortage of intensive care unit beds and staff to adequately care for the patients. Health workers and medical professionals have reported experiencing " burn out" and compassion fatigue
Compassion fatigue is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. It is sometimes referred to as seconda ...
. The surge in cases throughout 2021 has been attributed to the government's less stringent lockdown measures and an earlier decision to allow 18 manufacturing sectors to reopen under 60% capacity, creating favourable conditions for virus outbreaks in factories and workers' dormitories.
On 26 July 2021, thousands of junior doctors working on contracts went on ethical strike
Strike may refer to:
People
* Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
to protest against the government system in absorbing medical officers into a permanent position within the country's healthcare which was implemented in 2016 and also harsh working conditions including 36-hour shifts. The strike was organised anonymously after the junior doctors' grievances were not resolved. Striking doctors dressed in black marched out of several hospitals including Kuala Lumpur Hospital
Kuala Lumpur Hospital ( ms, Hospital Besar Kuala Lumpur, abbr: ''HKL'') is a Malaysian government-owned public hospital in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. Founded in 1870, HKL is a not-for-profit institution and serves as the flagshi ...
and Sungai Buloh Hospital. Director-General of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah urged doctors not to join the strike while police in KL confirmed they would investigate some of the organisers. The strike campaign amidst reports of overcrowding and unsanitary conditions at quarantine centres. BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
also reported that undertakers and funeral workers were overwhelmed with requests to bury patients, many of whom had died at home.
Vaccination efforts
Between November 2020 and January 2021, the Malaysian government entered into agreements with several governments, international organizations, and companies including the Chinese government
The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, m ...
, AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includin ...
, COVAX
COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Hea ...
, Pfizer
Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The company was established in 1849 in New York by two German entrepreneurs, Charles Pfizer ...
, Pharmaniaga Berhad and Duopharma to procure various COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
stocks for the country. In late January 2021, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Peking Union Medical College (), founded in 1906, is a selective public medical college based in Dongcheng, Beijing, China. It is a Chinese Ministry of Education Double First Class University Plan university. The school is tied to the Peking Un ...
' Institute of Medical Biology became the first COVID-19 vaccine trial in Malaysia.
In early February 2021, the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar ( Jawi: ; born 10 January 1976) is a Malaysian politician. He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 ...
was appointed as the Coordinating Minister for the immunization program. The COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) was also established to facilitate the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine supplies for the country. On 11 February, the Special Committee on Ensuring Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Supply announced that COVID-19 vaccines would be distributed freely to both citizens and resident foreigners. The government also launched a twelve-month immunization program between 24 February 2021 and February 2022, with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin
Tan Sri Dato' Haji Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a Malaysian politician who serv ...
being the first individual in Malaysia to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it was broadcast live nationwide.
In early September 2021, Minister of International Trade and Industry Mohamed Azmin Ali
Mohamed Azmin bin Ali ( Jawi: محمد عزمين بن علي; born 25 August 1964) is a Malaysian politician who served as Senior Minister of the Economic Cluster and as Minister of International Trade and Industry from 2020 to 2022. A memb ...
announced that Malaysia would start treating the COVID-19 pandemic as an endemic disease
In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a specific population or populated place when that infection is constantly maintained at a baseline level without extra infections being brought into the group as a result of travel or simi ...
from late October 2021 due to a high vaccination rate.
Anti-viral pills
On 2 October 2021, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar ( Jawi: ; born 10 January 1976) is a Malaysian politician. He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 ...
confirmed that the Malaysian government was negotiating with Merck & Co
Merck & Co., Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and is named for Merck Group, founded in Germany in 1668, of whom it was once the American arm. The company does business as Merck Sharp ...
to procure stocks of its antiviral molnupiravir
Molnupiravir, sold under the brand name Lagevrio, is an antiviral medication that inhibits the replication of certain RNA viruses. It is used to treat COVID-19 in those infected by SARS-CoV-2. It is taken by mouth.
Molnupiravir is a prodrug of ...
pills for treating COVID-19.
Travel and border control policies
Travel restrictions
Under the Movement Control Order put in place on 18 March 2020, all citizens were prohibited from leaving the country while foreigners were also prohibited from entering the country.
Since the first wave of the virus was reported, thermal scanners were introduced at border points with the Malaysian health authorities placed on high alert. After the ban on travellers from Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
on 27 January, the Malaysian federal government extended its ban to the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu
Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...
and Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
on 9 February. The state of Sabah expanded their travel restriction to all points of entry by air, sea or land starting 8 February, involving everyone except Sabahan citizens with recent travel history to mainland China within 14 days, while Sabahan citizens with such travel history must undergo a 14-day quarantine at home. The state of Sarawak closed its borders to all Chinese visitors with immediate effect on 1 February, except for people with employment passes, student passes or long-term social visit passes. However, those visitors were required to undergo self-quarantine at home for 14 days. With the increasing cases in South Korea, both Sabah and Sarawak government began to extended its travel restrictions into the country from 1 March. On 4 March, Sarawak further added Italy and Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
into its travel restrictions list.
On 5 March, Malaysia added seven regions towards its travel restriction list, which include Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna
egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title ...
in Italy; Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
in Japan; and Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, Qom and Gilan in Iran. By 10 March, Sabah also began to added Italy and Iran into its restrictions list. On 11 March, Malaysia announced a full restriction on foreign nationals directly from Italy, Iran and South Korea starting from 13 March, while Malaysians from those countries will be quarantined for 14 days. Following the 13 March Denmark lockdown, Malaysia has added the country into its travel ban list effective from 14 March.
On 6 April, visitors from the following regions can enter Malaysia by air exclusively: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, DR Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda and Western Sahara.
On 16 May, the Malaysian Government announced that it would be allowing "Malaysia My Second Home" (MM2H) programme members who were stranded overseas to return to Malaysia from 17 May. However, they must undergo testing for COVID-19 in the place that they are in and must be certified free of the coronavirus in order to enter Malaysia. They will also be quarantined for 14 days.
On 1 September, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
announced that long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines would be unable to enter Malaysia due to a spike of cases in those countries effective 7 September.
On 7 September, the Immigration Department banned nationals from 23 countries with a high number of COVID-19 cases including the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Colombia, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Iran, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Iraq, Philippines and Indonesia. The ban includes permanent residents, participants of the "Malaysia My Second Home" program, and expatriates, professional visit pass holders, the spouses of Malaysian citizens, and students.
On 10 October 2021, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that all interstate and international travel restrictions has been lifted for citizens and residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 since 90% of its adult population had been fully vaccinated. While citizens and residents of all states and territories welcomed and enjoyed this decision, Sabah is the only state that defers the application of this decision. Sabah resumes inter-district travel on 14 October and will allow interstate and international travels on 1 November.
On 7 November, the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
confirmed that Malaysians traveling to the US could show their proof of vaccination on the MySejatera app as well as a negative COVID-19 test.
On 8 November, the Malaysian and Singaporean governments reached an agreement to establish a quarantine free-travel lane for fully vaccinated travellers between Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is Malaysia's main international airport. It is located in the Sepang District of Selangor, approximately south of Kuala Lumpur and serves the city's greater conurbation.
KLIA is the largest and b ...
and Changi International Airport
Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passen ...
, which comes into effect on 29 November.
On 28 December, the Malaysian Government lifted its travel ban on travelers from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia; stating that the Omicron variant had spread beyond Southern Africa.
On 12 January 2022, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar ( Jawi: ; born 10 January 1976) is a Malaysian politician. He most recently served as Minister of Health in the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration under former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob from August 2021 ...
confirmed that travellers heading to Malaysia who are fully vaccinated and have previously contracted COVID-19 do not need to undergo mandatory quarantine. Travellers would have to present evidence that they had been fully vaccinated. Those who had been infected with COVID-19 had to present evidence they had been infected 11 to 60 days prior to travelling to Malaysia and a "fit to travel" letter from the health facility where they were treated.
On 27 April 2022, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Malaysia will remove pre-flight and on-arrival testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers and those who have just recovered from COVID-19 beginning on May 1. Masks would remain mandatory for indoor activities and on public transport, he said.
Overseas travel alert and quarantine arrangements
The following are warnings and quarantine arrangements for inbound and outbound travel:
Repatriation of Malaysian nationals abroad
The Malaysian government has made the repatriation of its citizens abroad a priority; beginning with the first repatriations from China. During the first repatriation, two persons were found to be infected with the virus and were subsequently quarantined and treated in the country until they have fully recovered.
On 21 March, a total of 212 Malaysians arrived from Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...
through a flight sponsored by the Uzbekistan government which is also being used to repatriated Uzbek citizens in Malaysia. On that same day, 372 Malaysians departed Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...
on two chartered flights. On 22 March, it was reported that the Malaysian government was waiting for the Indian government
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
's permission to organise six more flights to evacuate Malaysians still in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
On 31 March, Deputy Foreign Minister Kamaruddin Jaffar confirmed that 4,374 Malaysians were stranded abroad due to the travel restrictions and delays created by the global coronavirus pandemic. This figure only consists of Malaysians who had bought return tickets but were unable to return due to travel restrictions. According to Kamaruddin, 2,156 Malaysians are stranded in India, 680 in Indonesia, 337 in Thailand, 226 in Australia, 153 in New Zealand, 128 in Pakistan, and 121 in Saudi Arabia.
On 5 April, Deputy Foreign Minister Kamaruddin announced that the government had brought back 4,811 stranded Malaysians from affected countries. He also upgraded the number of Malaysians stranded abroad to 2,298: 1,016 in India, 172 in Thailand, 136 in New Zealand, 128 in Pakistan, 122 in Vietnam, 83 in Saudi Arabia, 77 in Australia, 66 in the Philippines, 65 in Sri Lanka, and 43 in Nepal.
On 6 May 2021, Foreign Minister Hishamuddin Hussein confirmed that the Malaysian government would begin evacuating citizens from the northern and western regions of India via New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
and Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
in response to a surge of cases in those regions.
Domestic travel
On 7 June 2020, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that interstate travel would be allowed from 10 June except in areas classified under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
On 13 June, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysians from peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Labuan would be allowed to enter Sarawak without having to seek permission from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) and take COVID-19 PCR tests prior to leaving for the state.
On 15 June, the Health Minister A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Adham Baba
}
Dato' Sri Dr. Adham bin Baba ( ms, أدهم بن بابا, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 6 October 1962) is a Malaysian doctor and a politician who served as Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation from 2021 to 2022. P ...
proposed retaining a ban on interstate travel during the Eid al-Fitr period in response to rising cases that week.
In March 2021, Sabah's districts were grouped into "zones" by the state government during the recovery movement control order, and travel was possible within these zones instead of just within districts. This was in part to boost domestic tourism, and was seen as successful by the government.
On 8 May 2021, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob confirmed that all interstate and inter-district travel without police approval would be banned across the country from 10 May to 6 June 2021.
Overseas travel and quarantine
On 31 March 2020, the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob
Malay styles and titles#State titles, Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob ( ms, اسماعيل صبري بن يعقوب, label=Jawi alphabet, Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; born 18 January 1960) is a Malaysian people, Malaysian lawyer and poli ...
announced that all Malaysians returning from overseas would have to undergo a compulsory two-week quarantine at designated quarantine centres around the country.
On 5 April 2020, the Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
Immigration Department announced that Malaysians with Singaporean work permits would be required to take swab tests in Singaporean clinics and hospitals to show that they are free of the coronavirus in order to return to Johor.
On 18 April, the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur advised US nationals in Malaysia wishing to return home to make commercial arrangements as soon as possible unless they had made plans to remain in Malaysia. The US Embassy also clarified that the United States Government was not planning to charter flights to evacuate its citizens.
On 27 June, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong (; born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Par ...
agreed that their governments would collaborate to establish a Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) allowing residents from both nations who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country to periodically return to their home countries for short-term home leave.
On 14 July, Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein
Hishammuddin bin Hussein ( Jawi: هشام الدين بن حسين; born 5 August 1961) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who served as Senior Minister of the Security Cluster and Minister of Defence from 2021 to 2022. A member of the Unite ...
and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan
Vivian Balakrishnan ( ta, விவியன் பாலகிருஷ்ணன்; born 1961) is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former ophthalmologist who has been serving in the Cabinet as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A m ...
announced that cross-border travel and traffic between the two countries will resume on 10 August 2020 under two schemes: the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA). The Reciprocal Green Lane will allow essential business and official travel between the two countries while the Periodic Commuting Arrangement will allow Singaporean and Malaysian residents who hold long-term immigration business and work passes to enter for work purposes.
On 23 July, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that all travellers entering Malaysia would have to undergo mandatory quarantine at hotels and quarantine centres commencing 24 July. On 30 July, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Khairul Dzaimee warned that foreigners refusing to pay the mandatory quarantine costs of RM 4,700 would have their long-term social visa passes revoked. Malaysians only have to pay half the quarantine cost.
On 13 December, the Director General of Health Noor Hisham announced that the Health Ministry has reduced the quarantine period from two weeks to 10 days for all travellers and close contacts of COVID-19 positive patients.
On 30 January 2021, the Singaporean Government announced that it would suspend its reciprocal "travel bubble" agreement with Malaysia in response to a spike of cases worldwide and the emergence of new variants.
On 23 March, the Singaporean and Malaysian Foreign Ministers Vivian Balakrishnan
Vivian Balakrishnan ( ta, விவியன் பாலகிருஷ்ணன்; born 1961) is a Singaporean politician, diplomat and former ophthalmologist who has been serving in the Cabinet as Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2015. A m ...
and Hishamuddin Hussein
Hishammuddin bin Hussein ( Jawi: هشام الدين بن حسين; born 5 August 1961) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who served as Senior Minister of the Security Cluster and Minister of Defence from 2021 to 2022. A member of the Unite ...
announced that the two governments plan to recognise each other's COVID-19 vaccine certificates with the goal of restoring cross-border travel in the near future. As of September 2021, the two governments have not yet reached to a conclusion on reopening borders. The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Saifuddin Abdullah
Dato' Sri Saifuddin bin Abdullah ( Jawi: سيف الدين بن عبدالله; born 27 January 1961) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Indera Mahkota since May 2018. He served as Minister of Forei ...
said that Malaysia will continue negotiating with Singapore on border reopening.
From September 21 onwards, fully vaccinated travellers entering Malaysia will be able to apply for home quarantine via a new portal on the Ministry of Health's website. However they will require to make a Pre-departure Covid PCR test and will have to apply 7–10 days before their intended travel.
On 24 September, National Recovery Council chairman Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed that Malaysia and Singapore would recognise each other's vaccination certificates to facilitate movement between the two countries.
On 24 November, the Malaysian and Singaporean governments agreed to establish a land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between the two countries from 29 November. Under the arrangement, 2,880 vaccinated Malaysian and Singaporean citizens, permanent residents, and long-term pass holders would be able to cross the Johor–Singapore Causeway
The Johor–Singapore Causeway is a causeway consisting of a combined railway and motorway bridge that links the city of Johor Bahru in Malaysia across the Straits of Johor to the district and town of Woodlands in Singapore. Historically f ...
each day.
On 26 November, the Government imposed temporary travel restrictions on foreign travelers from South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, Botswana
Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...
, Eswatini, Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
, Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
, Namibia
Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...
and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
in response to the detection of a new COVID-19 variant known as the Omicron variant
Omicron (B.1.1.529) is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa on 24 November 2021. It was first detected in Botswana and has spread to become the ...
. Malaysian national and permanent residents will be allowed to enter Malaysia but will have to undergo 14 days of mandatory quarantine.
On 8 March 2022, Prime Minister Ismail announced that Malaysia's borders would be fully reopened to all travellers from 1 April. Fully vaccinated travellers will be allowed to enter the country with having to undergo quarantine.
Impact
Economic impact
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the Malaysian economy. By late January 2020, the Malaysian Bursa Malaysia
Bursa Malaysia is the stock exchange of Malaysia. It is one of the largest bourses in ASEAN. It is based in Kuala Lumpur and was previously known as the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE). It provides a full integration of transactions, offe ...
stock market had tumbled as investors sold their stocks in response to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic. By February 2021, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) had shrunk 3.4% in the fourth quarter from last year. In addition, the Malaysian economy contracted contracted 5.6% for all of 2020, its worst performance since the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis
The Asian financial crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of East Asia and Southeast Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion. However, the recovery in 1998– ...
.
Numerous sectors including the entertainment, retail, hospitality, and tourism sectors were affected by various lockdown and social distancing restrictions in response to outbreaks of COVID-19 throughout 2020 and 2021. In addition, panic buying created a shortage of commodities such as surgical mask
A surgical mask, also known by other names such as a medical face mask or procedure mask, is a personal protective equipment used by healthcare professionals that serves as a mechanical barrier that interferes with direct airflow in and out of re ...
s and hand sanitiser
Hand sanitizer (also known as hand antiseptic, hand disinfectant, hand rub, or handrub) is a liquid, gel or foam generally used to kill many viruses/bacteria/microorganisms on the hands. In most settings, hand washing with soap and water is gen ...
s. In response, the government banned the export of facemasks and took steps to import more facemasks.
The pandemic also drew attention to workplace safety and the exploitation of migrant workers working in Malaysian industries. In response to the emerge of COVID-19 clusters among migrant workers, the Malaysian government was forced to take steps to improve their welfare and take action against "errant" employers. By 12 March 2021, 608,093 foreign workers had been screened for COVID-19, with 9,653 testing positive.
On 27 September 2021, Malaysia's Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the country's financial position was expected to improve in 2023, with the economy targeted to grow 4.5%-5.5% per year for the next five years. Malaysia posted average annual growth of 2.7% between 2016 and 2020, due in large part to a 5.6% contraction last year due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
Social impact
The COVID-19 pandemic led to social distancing restrictions on a wide range of activities including the registration of births, marriages, and deaths, religious gatherings, education, and sporting events. All sports and co-curricular activities in schools were postponed with immediate effects as announced by the country Ministry of Education. All sports and co-curricular activities in schools were postponed with immediate effects as announced by the country Ministry of Education.
Due to a decline in cases in May and June 2020, most places of worship and schools were allowed to reopen under certain health and social distancing restrictions. Following a third wave of infections that began in September 2020, most places of worship and schools closed and shifted to online services and classes.
Political impact
Aid and relief efforts
The Malaysian Government along with various non governmental organisations (NGOs), companies, and foreign governments introduced a range of relief programs to address the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. In 23 March, the Government allocated RM600 million to the Ministry of Health for the purchase of equipment and to hire medical personnel. It also allowed contributors of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to withdraw up to RM500 per month for 12 months. On 27 March 2020, Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Muhyiddin Yassin
Tan Sri Dato' Haji Mahiaddin bin Md Yasin (born 15 May 1947), commonly known as Muhyiddin bin Muhammad Yassin ( ms, محيي الدين بن محمد ياسين, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ), is a Malaysian politician who serv ...
introduced an economic stimulus package known as the Prihatin ("caring package") worth RM250 billion.
In addition to the federal government's efforts to provide financial relief to small traders, victims and frontline health staff, the 13 state governments launched their own stimulus packages and financial aid in the form of rental waivers and deferment of student loan repayments to help their citizens to cope throughout the virus outbreak. In addition, the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president ...
, and all other ministers and deputy ministers announced that they would contribute two months of their salaries to the COVID-19 Fund of Malaysia.
Between January and March 2020, the Sabah state government and various NGOs raised aid and medical supplies for China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, which was serious affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. Following the rise in COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, the Chinese government reciprocated Malaysia's earlier help by assisting in the distribution of aid and medical supplies in Malaysia. In addition, Malaysia received aid from the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and the multinational corporation McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechri ...
.
Mercy Malaysia
MERCY Malaysia or Malaysian Medical Relief Society is a non-profit organisation focusing on providing medical relief, sustainable health related development and disaster risk reduction, risk reduction activities for vulnerability, vulnerable com ...
, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society
The Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) ( ms, Bulan Sabit Merah Malaysia (BSMM)) is a voluntary humanitarian organization that seeks to promote humanitarian values, as well as provide service and public education in disaster management, as we ...
along with various banks and telecommunications companies also provided customers with various forms of financial assistances and discounted services during the pandemic.
Statistics
See also
* COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
The COVID-19 pandemic began in Asia in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and has spread widely through the continent. As of , at least one case of COVID-19 had been reported in every country in Asia except Turkmenistan.
The Asian countries with the highe ...
* Public health mitigation of COVID-19
Speed and scale are key to mitigation of COVID-19, due to the fat-tailed nature of pandemic risk and the exponential growth of COVID-19 infections. For mitigation to be effective, (a) chains of transmission must be broken as quickly as possible t ...
* Treatment and management of COVID-19
Although several medications have been approved in different countries as of April 2022, not all countries have these medications. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms who are in the risk groups can take nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (marketed as Pa ...
* 2009 swine flu pandemic in Malaysia
* Living with COVID-19
the global COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, but the disease may shift from a pandemic stage to an endemic stage in the future. Endemicity is characterized by people continuing to be infected and becoming ill, but in relatively stable numbers ...
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
* – Coronavirus statistics official website by the Ministry of Health of Malaysia
Latest Updates on the Coronavirus cases in Malaysia
– Ministry of Health of Malaysia
Live Official Updates of New Cases by District and Cities
– COVID-19.Place from Official Source
Official data
- Ministry of Health of Malaysia on GitHub
Official government website on COVID-19 data
- Ministry of Health of Malaysia
Statistics of Infection on Department of Statistics
(alternative link o
Malaysia Outbreak (Live Updates)
CoronaTracker
– Statistics on the coronavirus cases in Malaysia
Covid-19 Cases in Sabah on Sabah COVID-19 Tracker
(alternative link o
Sabah Outbreak
– Statistics on the coronavirus cases in Sabah
Covid-19 Cases in Sarawak on Sarawak COVID-19 Tracker
(alternative link o
Sarawak COVID-19 Tracker
– Statistics on the coronavirus cases in Sarawak
and ttps://github.com/CSSEGISandData/COVID-19 historical databy Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
{{Portal bar, COVID-19, Malaysia, Medicine, Viruses
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
2020 in Malaysia
2021 in Malaysia
2020 disasters in Malaysia
2021 disasters in Malaysia
2022 disasters in Malaysia