AFP file photo for illustration purposes.
KUCHING: Malaysians returning from overseas will be required to pay Covid-19 detection test costs of between RM30 and RM150 upon arrival starting today, said a new federal gazette.
According to a schedule in the gazette called the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Fee for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Detection Test) Regulations 2020, foreigners entering the country would also have to bear their own Covid-19 detection tests costing between RM60 and RM250.
According to the gazette made by Health Minister Datuk Seri Adham Baba on June 26, depending on the type of test chosen, the fee has to be paid before proceeding for immigration clearance at any entry points.
For locals, RM30 will be for an antibody rapid test kit, RM60 for an antigen rapid test kit and RM150 for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.
Foreigners have to pay RM60, RM120 and RM250 for the same tests respectively.
“Any citizen or foreigner in Malaysia may request to undergo Covid-19 detection test at any government hospitals or any place as determined by the Director General (of Health Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah) to be a place to undergo Covid-19 detection test, and shall pay the fee specified, as the case may be, relating to the type of Covid-19 detection test,” said the gazette.
It added that the determination of the type of detection test shall be made by the Director General, and the minister may, in his discretion, in any particular case, waive wholly or in part any fee specified in the schedule.
This afternoon, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the implementation of the gazette and new rule made effective today (June 29).
He said a special Cabinet meeting this morning however had decided that such cost would be exempted for three categories, namely physically challenged individuals (OKU), government officers returning to Malaysia on official assignments and students returning to the country for the first time.
“Starting today, June 29, Malaysians and foreigners who return to Malaysia must undertake the cost of Covid-19 screening upon their entry.
“We have decided during the special Cabinet meeting that OKU who hold the OKU card issued by the Welfare Department (JKM) and government officers who return to the country on official assignments are exempted from the charge.
“Students who return to the country for the first time and they must prove that it’s their first are also to be exempted from the Covid-19 screening cost,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya.