MOHE Guidelines for International Students

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES DURING AND AFTER COVID-19 PANDEMIC MOVEMENT CONTROL ORDER 

MANAGING STUDENTS’ BACK-TO-CAMPUS MOVEMENT

INTRODUCTION

1. On the 29th of June 2020, the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE)  presented a paper entitled “A Proposal To Allow International Students Back On Campus During This Current COVID-19 Pandemic Situation” in a Special Ministers’ Meeting concerning National Security Council’s (NSC’s) Movement Control Order Implementation. The proposal was approved which involves additional categories of students with special requirements along with existing and new international students to continue pursuing their studies in the country. 

OBJECTIVE 

2. This SOP aims to explain the preventive and safety measures of the New Norms that HEIs are required to abide by concerning the management of existing and new international students entering HEI campuses. 

3. Based on the categories of students that have been approved, HEIs are required to identify students who are eligible to enter HEI campuses. As such, HEIs are responsible to produce and provide a permission letter and a copy of this SOP to each eligible student identified, respectively.

BACK TO CAMPUS PROCEDURE FOR MALAYSIAN STUDENTS 

Before Returning To Campus

4. HEIs are strongly urged to follow the criteria that has been set by NADMA and MOH, to ensure control of student activity at the quarantine locations in accordance to current orders by the Government. HEIs are required to ensure adherence to the following:

1. Cautious planning to ensure the back-to-campus registration of new students are implemented in stages so that the total number of people at any one time can be ascertained with precision;
2. The permission letter and SOP that are produced and provided to students must clearly indicate the requirements of the new norms that students need to follow, such as body temperature check, hand washing ritual, face mask use as well as social distancing practice; and
3. Early notification to students with regard to the number of their next-of-kin who are allowed to accompany them on the day of registration.

Journey Back To Campus

5. HEIs must ensure that students’ movement back to campus be carried out in stages to prevent crowding or over-crowding at any one time. Students themselves will arrange and bear all costs associated, but not limited to, their journey back to campus. 

6. For students who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, and declared as Persons Under Investigation (PUIs) or Persons Under Surveillance (PUSs), they are not allowed to return to campus. Only students who do not exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms are allowed back to campus.

7. HEIs reserve the right to postpone the entry of any students exhibiting COVID19 symptoms as a precautionary measure to avoid the mass spreading of the lethal disease.

Upon Arrival In Respective Campuses 

8. Students who arrive in respective campuses must be carefully monitored by HEIs by adhering to the following safety measures:

1. Entry into campuses can only be done through a supervised and designated entry point in order to ease the monitoring process;

2. Students who enter campuses must undergo a body temperature and COVID-19 symptom check at designated check points specified by HEIs; and

3. In the event that students whose body temperature exceed 37.5 degree Celsius or exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms (cough, sore throat, or difficulty in breathing) at the COVID-19 screening check point, they will immediately be referred to the nearest hospital / health facility for further examination and will not be allowed to enter the vicinity of the campus.

9. In the event that students do not exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms at  screening check points, they may proceed with registration matters at the campus and then, proceed to their respective accommodation.

BACK TO CAMPUS PROCEDURE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Categories of International Students Who Are Allowed To Enter Malaysia 

10. These are the categories of international students who are allowed entry into Malaysia:  

1. New students;
2. Existing students who are currently outside Malaysia; and 
3. Students of mobility programmes exceeding the duration of 3 months.  

ENTRY PROCEDURE 

Pre-Departure To Malaysia 

11. Students are required to abide by these pre-departure requirements: 
    1. Students are required to submit an entry application through the Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) system with the following information:  
       1. Full name (as in passport); 
       2. Nationality / Citizenship;
       3. Passport Number; 
       4. Higher Education Institution (currently registered at);
       5. Programme of Study ;
       6. Reachable Phone number; 
       7. E-mail; 
       8. Current Location (country); 
       9. Departure/Arrival Date (KUL) and Flight Details;
       10. Consent Form to bear all cost, but not limited to treatment-related cost in the event of being diagnosed COVID-19 positive; and
       11. Any other additional information as requested from time to time.
    2. Students must obtain a Student Entry Approval Letter approved by the Director General of Immigration (DGI) before they enter Malaysia. 
    3. Students need to undergo a COVID-19 screening test in their home countries within 3 days before entering Malaysia.
    4. Students are then required to bring their test results (translated into English) with them when they enter Malaysia.
    5. Students are also required to download the MySejahtera application on their smartphones and to complete all the information in the application.
    6. Students need to download or print the Student Entry Approval Letter from the EMGS System as they will be required to present it at the entry check point upon arrival in Malaysia.
12. EMGS is required to forward applications to HEIs for information verification purposes.
13. EMGS is also required to forward applications that are verified by HEIs to the Immigration Department of Malaysia for the purpose of obtaining full approval from the Director General of Immigration (DGI). 

Upon Arrival In Malaysia

14. Upon arrival at the entry checkpoint, students are required to abide by these following steps : 
    1. A COVID-19 test clearance must be done at the entry checkpoint: 
       1. In the event that the COVID-19 screening test result is verified VALID by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and the student DOES NOT EXHIBIT ANY COVID-19 SYMPTOMS, the student will be allowed to proceed to the Immigration Counter; and
       2. In the event that the COVID-19 screening test result is verified as INVALID by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and/or the student EXHIBITS ANY COVID-19 SYMPTOMS, the student will have to undergo an RTK Antigen test. 
       3. In the event that international students arrive at the entry checkpoint without any COVID-19 screening test results, they will have to undergo a COVID-19 screening test arranged by the Health Office at the international entry checkpoint.
    2. After the COVID-19 test clearance, students will submit the Student Entry Approval Letter from the Immigration Department of Malaysia to the officer-on-duty at the Immigration Counter; 
15. All HEIs, or their representatives, must be present to pick up their students from the airport to an identified quarantine location. This includes HEIs ranked in Tier 5 and 6 by SETARA and MyQUEST that have been exempted from doing so preMovement Control Order (pre-MCO), as this privilege is rendered null and void within the confines of this SOP. 
16. All parties are required to abide by the procedures for entry into Malaysia and current immigration requirements in order to avoid any difficulties at the entry checkpoint.  

Adhering To The Self-Quarantine Directive

17. Students are required to undergo SELF-QUARANTINE at quarantine locations identified by HEIs for 14 days according to quarantine procedures set by National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) and MOH. 
18. HEIs are strongly urged to follow the criteria that has been set by NADMA and MOH, to ensure control of student activity at the quarantine locations in accordance to current orders by the Government. HEIs are required to ensure adherence to the following:
    1. HEIs need to identify sufficient quarantine locations and ensure that the students adhere to the quarantine procedures that have been set;
    2. HEIs need to do cautious planning to ensure that their students’ self-quarantine experience will be pleasant and orderly; 
    3. HEIs need to assist students in securing an appointment with the nearest District Health Office (DHO) in order for them to undergo a mandatory RTK Antibody Test on the 13^th day of the self-quarantine period; and
    4. HEIs are required to assist students to verify with MOH at the end of their self-quarantine period on the 14^th day.

Post-Quarantine Period

19. Students are allowed to continue their studies on campus as soon as the self-quarantine period ends.  
20. New students are required to undergo a post-arrival medical screening as soon as the self-quarantine period ends before applying for a student pass in accordance to the existing Health Examination and Insurance Coverage Guideline for International Students that is currently in enforcement.       

Ministry of Higher Education 

July 2020