KUALA LUMPUR SEPT.14: The Langkawi Travel Bubble that starts on 16th September 2021 as the pioneer project for domestic tourism in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic will be closely monitored as it will set a benchmark for other tourist destinations to be opened.
Senior Minister of Defence, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said, if the Langkawi project fails then the government will not allow other tourist destinations to be reopened to the domestic tourists.
“The responsibility now is on the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to set the most appropriate standard operating procedure (SOP), to ensure the hospitals have enough beds in case there is a spike in COVID-19 cases and to ensure the tourists and the people in Langkawi are fully vaccinated.
“The ministry should monitor from where, how and when the tourists are coming to Langkawi and its Minister, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri should prove that the Langkawi Travel Bubble can be done safely,” Hishammuddin said at the press conference held at the Parliament here today.
Hishammuddin said that to a question posed by a reporter on what will happen if the Langkawi pioneer project fails.
On another development, Hishammuddin said, the National Security Council (NSC) will work out to reduce 181 to 10 SOPs and it will be ready in two to three weeks time.
The Senior Minister said, the small number of SOPs is to make it easier for the public to follow.
The number of flexibilities that have been discussed between him and other three ministers namely Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister of Health, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Minister of Communications and Multimedia, and Minister of Finance, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz will soon be presented to the Prime Minister.
He added, the new flexibilities in the SOP will be announced by the Prime Minister in the near future.
Hishammuddin also mentioned that his meeting with the three ministers today have discussed on four agenda including i) Overseeing the decisions made on the flexibilities that have been announced earlier and how the SOP could be improved so that it could be understood easier ii) Studying the flexibilities that have been agreed in principles at the Pandemic Management Special Committee Meeting and detailing the suitable SOP before it is announced to the public, iii) Looking at the potentiality of opening more sectors in future including extending the flexibilities in tourism sector iv) Detailing the narrative before shifting to endemic phase that will start at the end of October 2021. –Malaysia World News
