KUALA LUMPUR (March 15): The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has said the standard operating procedures for the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between Malaysia and Singapore, Thailand, and Cambodia will now follow the "test and release" method, which means travellers no longer need to wait for their Covid-19 test results before being allowed to continue on their journey.

Instead, a traveller only has to take a Covid-19 swab test upon arrival and can then proceed to their respective accommodation via private transport, taxi or other hired vehicle, as declared in the MySejahtera Home Surveillance Order.

"They must then self-isolate whilst awaiting their Covid-19 test results, which will be given within 24 hours. They will be cleared from isolation upon a negative test result. In the event of a positive result, travellers are to comply with existing health protocols prescribed by the Ministry of Health," said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong in a statement.

The MoT said the streamlining of the VTL entry process is to reduce ambiguity in the VTL By Air initiative for travellers entering Malaysia, and to facilitate enforcement at air terminals, adding that it applies to all VTL arrivals at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and the Penang International Airport from Wednesday (March 16) onwards.

At the start of this month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia would transition into the endemic phase from April 1, and would reopen its borders on the same date.