KUALA LUMPUR NOV.12: Freedom of movement is crucial for the full realisation of economic recovery and as such Malaysia urges Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to develop mutual recognition of vaccine certificate among Member Economies.
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, reopening of international borders will certainly spur travel and tourism sectors, which are among the hardest hit by the pandemic, and this will in turn drive economic recovery.
Ismail said, fully-vaccinated Malaysians have started travelling abroad since last month, while international tourists are allowed to visit Malaysia under strict adherence to safety measures that have been put in place.
“As a start in fully reopening our international border, effective 29th November, a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Malaysia and Singapore will be implemented. Malaysia is also in the midst of implementing a Travel Corridor Arrangement (TCA) with Indonesia.
“I would like to take this opportunity to propose for the development of an appropriate regulatory coherence mechanism to facilitate safe, convenient and seamless travel on regional level. APEC can work on this collectively,” Ismail said at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) via virtual here this evening.
Ismail emphasized that digitalisation and green growth is the path for a sustainable and resilient future of the region. The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly escalated digital transformation and technological adoption in every aspect of our lives. Innovative solutions borne out of necessity, has to a large extent, contributed to businesses’ survival, job preservation, new opportunities for informal groups and hastened progress of the gig economy.
“More importantly while we are in the pursuit of digital innovation at an exceptional pace, we should not lose track of the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda to achieve a more vibrant and sustainable economic environment in our region.
“Under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (12MP) 2021-2025, we are committed in developing enabling instruments for climate action, ensuring sustainable energy, accelerating transition to circular economy and increasing resilience to climate change and disaster. In this spirit, we have targeted to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 at the earliest,” Ismail said.
The Member of Parliament for Bera also highlighted on the Joint Statement by the Trade Ministers in June this year is of utmost importance to identify and consider removing unnecessary barriers to trade, particularly those that expedite and facilitate flow of the vaccine supply chain.
“To improve accessibility to vaccines, we call for an end to vaccine discrimination, and in this vein, Malaysia continues to approve all vaccines green lit by World Health Organisation (WHO),” Ismail reiterated.
He added, Malaysia believes that APEC must continue to remain steadfast to its core purpose of promoting capacity building through economic and technical cooperation towards more inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth.
“I am hopeful and optimistic that our deliberation and recommendations today would deliver fruitful and concrete outcomes. The clarion call, as encapsulated in the Putrajaya Vision, for an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, is even more pronounced in a post COVID-19 world.
“Therefore, effective operationalisation of the implementation plan is the key towards successful and sustainable future. I look forward to adopting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Declaration and the implementation plan of the Putrajaya Vision 2040 for the prosperity of all our people and future generations,” Ismail said.-Malaysia World News
