by BERNAMA / pic by MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

PRIME Minister (PM) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s (picture) two-day visit to Indonesia will be subject to strict Covid-19 preventative standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Wisma Putra, in a statement yesterday, said the PM will be accompanied only by a small delegation that is required to take a swab test before departure and only those with negative test results within 48 hours are allowed to be part of the official visit.

“Muhyiddin received a special invitation from the Indonesia President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to undertake an official visit to Indonesia after his appointment in March 2020.

“The delegation will be flying with a special aircraft instead of commercial arrangements in order to create a travel bubble to Indonesia.

“The Malaysian delegation is required to take another swab test upon arrival at the airport in Jakarta. Only individuals with negative test results verified by the relevant Indonesian authorities will be taken directly to their accommodation,” the statement said.

It said the Malaysian delegation is prohibited from moving anywhere on their own except to designated areas of the official visit, and is required to remain confined to their accommodation and designated areas of the official visit.

“There will be no physical contact — handshakes, hugs or touching — throughout the duration of the official visit.

“The Indonesian government has given their assurance that the official visit will be held under very strict Covid-19 preventative SOPs,” it said.

Wisma Putra also said given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia and Indonesia, the PM has instructed for the duration of the official visit to be less than 24 hours and this request has been conveyed to and was well received by the Indonesian government.

In order to fulfil the logistical requirements of Muhyiddin’s official visit, Jokowi had personally instructed for the official venue of the visit to be held at Istana Merdeka in Jakarta, instead of Istana Bogor in Bogor, West Java.