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IMPACT – HIGH The government has again extended the temporary movement control order (MCO) to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Key points:
Background: Malaysia originally implemented measures to mitigate the spread of the virus that took effect March 18, and then extended the MCO until April 14.
Analysis & Comments: The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop and Deloitte will provide updates as information becomes available. Please check Deloitte’s COVID-19 Digital Map, available here, for information on travel restrictions and immigration changes in other countries.
Rest of World Source: Deloitte. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), its global network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more. Deloitte Legal means the legal practices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited member firms or their affiliates that provide legal services. For legal, regulatory and other reasons, not all member firms provide legal services. This includes Deloitte Tax LLP in the United States which does not provide legal and/or immigration advice or services. This communication contains general information only, and none of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, its member firms or their related entities (collectively, the “Deloitte network”) is, by means of this communication, rendering professional advice or services. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser. No entity in the Deloitte network shall be responsible for any loss whatsoever sustained by any person who relies on this communication. © 2020. For information, contact Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.
IMPACT – HIGH
The Malawi government recently announced travel and visa restrictions to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Additional information: These measures remain subject to change, as they have been introduced in response to the rapidly changing global COVID-19 landscape.
Analysis & Comments: The new visa and travel restrictions will impact the movement of people into Malawi. Employers should account for affected travelers and rearrange travel schedules accordingly. Delays may occur for consular and in-country processing.
The government of Malaysia has extended the movement control order (MCO) it implemented earlier this month to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The temporary MCO will continue to be in force until April 14.
Key Points:
Analysis & Comments: Employers must continue to be prepared for significant disruptions to all but essential business and government functions. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and Deloitte will provide additional updates as information becomes available.
The government of Malaysia has implemented strict immigration measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The temporary measures will be in force from March 18 through March 31.
Analysis & Comments: Employers must be prepared for significant disruptions to all but essential business and government functions. The response to the COVID-19 outbreak continues to develop, and Deloitte will provide additional updates as information becomes available.
Source: Deloitte. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), its global network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more. Deloitte Legal means the legal practices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited member firms or their affiliates that provide legal services. For legal, regulatory and other reasons, not all member firms provide legal services. This communication contains general information only, and none of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, its member firms or their related entities (collectively, the “Deloitte network”) is, by means of this communication, rendering professional advice or services. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser. No entity in the Deloitte network shall be responsible for any loss whatsoever sustained by any person who relies on this communication. © 2020. For information, contact Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.
IMPACT – MEDIUM
What is the change? The Malaysia Immigration Department (MID) has strictly enforced regulations on work pass holders working at second locations without permission.
What does the change mean? Employers must ensure foreign employees have permission to work at a second site and such permission must be visible and evidenced on the passport tied to the work pass.
Background: The MID has enforced the rule in recent weeks by conducting unannounced raids where work pass holders are employed.
Analysis & Comments: Employers must obtain permission for work pass holders to work at second sites before they begin working. Further, second site permission may only be obtained for branches or projects operated by the same company. Work passes are invalidated if the conditions of their issuance are violated. Penalties for employers violating work pass conditions are harsh and include fines of RM 10,000-50,000 and/or imprisonment of six months to five years, and/or corporal punishment. Penalties for employees found working in violation of the terms of their work permit include imprisonment up to six months and/or a fine of up to RM 1,000.
What is the change? Malaysia has stepped up travel restrictions in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.
What does the change mean? Authorities will deny entry to Peninsular Malaysia to anyone who has been in Hubei, Jiangsu or Zhejiang provinces in the past 14 days. Entry will also be denied to People’s Republic of China (PRC) passport holders who were born in or had their visa issued in any of the three provinces. Previously, the ban only covered Hubei Province. Authorities in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) will ban entry to all PRC passport holders, regardless of where they are traveling from, and to all travelers from mainland China, regardless of nationality.
Analysis & Comments: Employers should be aware the entry restrictions. The response to the coronavirus is evolving rapidly, and Deloitte will alert clients to additional changes or restrictions as information becomes available.
What is the change? The government has suspended granting visas to all PRC passport holders from Hubei Province in China in response to the spread of the coronavirus.
What does the change mean? All visas, including visa-waived entry, visas on arrival, e-visas and consular visas, are suspended for Chinese nationals from Hubei Province.
Background: Since the coronavirus was first detected in December, countries have begun issuing travel bans and warnings to prevent the further spread of the virus.
Analysis & Comments: Employers should be aware of the suspension of visas for PRC passport holders from Hubei Province when filing visa applications. The government has said that immigration privileges will be available to affected Chinese nationals once the situation returns to normal. Deloitte will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates when available.
What is the change? The Malaysian Immigration Department (MID) has launched an e-Payment system that can be used with a credit or debit card.
What does the change mean? The MID will no longer accept cash for payment of immigration fees. Applicants instead will have to use the e-Payment system or pay with a bank draft.
Additional information: Up until now, MID accepted cash or bank drafts for payment of fees upon submission of the applicant’s passport at immigration offices. This changed with the launch of the e-Payment system. While cash will no longer be accepted, officials have confirmed that bank drafts will continue to be an accepted method of payment.
Analysis & Comments: The MID’s move to cashless transactions is in line with current technology trends designed to ensure payment integrity. With this system in this place, companies should be able to mitigate the risk in cash handling as payment transactions will be immediately captured in the e-Payment system, which will be able to generate payment reports at any time upon request.
What is the reminder? The Malaysia Digital Economy Corp. (MDEC) and the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) have begun accepting projections from companies on their 2020 needs for foreign knowledge workers.
Analysis & Comments: Companies should plan to submit their foreign-worker projections as early as possible to avoid the year-end holiday slowdown. Although there is no official deadline for filing, companies should aim to obtain approval by Dec. 31 to avoid any issues in submitting renewal applications, especially renewals for permits that expire in January, February or March.
Source: Deloitte. Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), its global network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more. Deloitte Legal means the legal practices of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited member firms or their affiliates that provide legal services. For legal, regulatory and other reasons, not all member firms provide legal services. This communication contains general information only, and none of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, its member firms or their related entities (collectively, the “Deloitte network”) is, by means of this communication, rendering professional advice or services. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your finances or your business, you should consult a qualified professional adviser. No entity in the Deloitte network shall be responsible for any loss whatsoever sustained by any person who relies on this communication. © 2019. For information, contact Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.
What is the change? The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is now issuing approval letters with longer validity periods for ICT applicants.
What does the change mean? MDEC approval letters for ICT applicants will be issued with validity periods of six months instead of three months.
Analysis & Comments: The change is good news for ICT companies since they will have more time to endorse employment passes, and employees will have more time to start their assignments in Malaysia.