MOH confirms French man placed at quarantine station - Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 -- The Ministry of Health (MOH) has confirmed that a French national who was spotted wearing a pink wristband at the Langkawi International Airport (LTAL), Kedah, has been placed at a quarantine station in Langkawi at 7.30 pm yesterday.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the ministry had conducted an investigation and found that the foreigner who arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 8.25 am yesterday, was a participant of the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme.

“He (French man) is part of MM2H and was initially given the flexibility to undergo quarantine at his residence in Langkawi according to terms stated pertaining to the MM2H participants issued on June 25.

“However, as at July 24, the government has made it mandatory for all travellers arriving in Malaysia to undergo quarantine for 14 days at the quarantine stations, then the condition regarding home quarantine for MM2H participants is void,” he said in a statement here today.

He said this in response to questions raised by netizens on Twitter on the possibility of changes in terms of the standard operating procedures following media reports mentioning that a foreigner was allowed to undergo self-quarantine at home.

Dr Noor Hisham said that the man was found to be asymptomatic and had tested negative for COVID-19 at the KLIA, before he was allowed to continue his domestic flight to Langkawi where he lives.

Upon arrival at LTAL, the French man was detained by the General Operations Force (PGA) personnel for wearing a pink wristband, an indication of his status as a person under investigation (PUI) and was in a public area, he said.

“He was then placed at the quarantine station in Langkawi yesterday at 7.30 pm,” he explained.

Dr Noor Hisham also thanked the public and agencies for their concern and help in controlling and preventing the spread of COVID-19 infection.

Bernama today reported that the 64-year-old French national had been ordered to undergo quarantine at the Ayer Hangat Health Clinic.

Langkawi district police chief Supt Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim was reported to have said that the order was issued by the MOH and the foreigner was not allowed to undergo self-quarantine at his rented house in Pantai Chenang.

-- BERNAMA