MALAYSIANS will be allowed to travel overseas without the MyTravelPass (MTP) when 90% of the population are vaccinated, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

“We will allow Malaysians to go abroad without applying for the MTP once full vaccination hits 90%,” Ismail said in an interview on national television tonight.

As of midnight last night, 87.2% of the adult population were fully vaccinated.

Ismail said Malaysians were initially stopped from travelling abroad for holidays to curb the spread of Covid-19.

“But we have always allowed students who are studying overseas to go abroad without the MTP,” said the Umno vice president.

He said that spouses were permitted to travel to see their spouses after applying for the MTP.

Earlier this week, the Immigration Department released a list of those exempted from having to apply for the MTP before travelling overseas effective October 1.

In the one-hour interview with Bernama, TV3 and Astro Awani this evening, Ismail repeated that the interstate travel will be permitted once the vaccination target of 90% is reached.

He said that the tourism sector is one of the hardest-hit and will only recover when the country is opened once again.

“The airline industry will also recover once we allow interstate travel.”

He said the government wants to help boost the tourism sector. – October 3, 2021.