Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri
KUCHING: The agreement over the need to establish a Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) between Malaysia and Indonesia bodes well with the local tourism, arts and culture industry.
Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri regarded the proposed RGL – known as the ‘Travel Corridor Arrangement’ (TCA) in Indonesia – as ‘good news, much awaited by the ministry’.
She thanked and congratulated Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for all efforts made towards obtaining the agreement with Indonesia.
On Friday, Muhyiddin met up with Indonesia President Joko Widodo in Jakarta as part of the former’s official trip to the republic.
The establishment of the RGL/TCA between the two nations was among the items discussed by both leaders.
Adding on, Nancy said the initiative was among her ministry’s recovery plans formulated in July last year as measures to revitalise the tourism, arts and culture industry in Malaysia.
“Previously, my ministry held discussions with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, over exploring the opportunity to create ‘travel bubbles’ with neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Singapore and Thailand, and (other countries in) Asean and also the Asia-Pacific such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, which have been identified as ‘safe’ by WHO (World Health Organisation).
“The implementation, however, is subject to bilateral discussions and considerations over aspects of health, immigration, data-tracking, and continuous monitoring by the relevant agencies in both countries (Malaysia and Indonesia),” she said in a statement yesterday.
Nancy pointed out that as chair of the Commission for East Asia and Pacific Region in the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Tourism Crisis Committee, Malaysia had also voiced proposals for transparency and standardisation of cross-border standard operating procedures (SOP) by the ‘safe countries’.
“This is to facilitate travels, by taking into account the views from the health agencies of these respective countries,” she added.
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