21 May 2020
Dear Members,
Kindly be informed that on 11 May 2020, MATTA wrote to the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia seeking for her support and to bring the issue of travel agencies being allowed to reopen their offices to Majlis Keselamatan Negara (MKN). Together with the letter, MATTA had also submitted guidelines for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for when the travel agency offices are allowed to reopen in this period of Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). The guidelines for the SOPs were supported and co-signed by the President of The Association of Bumiputera Tourism Operators of Malaysia (BUMITRA) and the President of the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA).
On 16 May 2020, we have been informed that the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, YB Dato' Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri had tabled, applied and explained the issue at the ministerial meeting and MKN to allow travel agency offices to reopen in this period of CMCO. The meeting had approved to allow travel agency offices to reopen. MKN is preparing and finalising the SOPs and FAQs on the issue, and members will be informed when we receive it.
We wish to thank the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and her officers for their support and assistance in bringing the issue to the ministerial meeting and MKN and obtained the approval.
In the meantime, while waiting for the SOPs and FAQs from MKN, we have prepared guidelines and SOPs for travel agency offices largely based on measures set by the Ministry of Health to help ensure the health and safety of the staff and visitors to a Travel Agency office. These guidelines are suggestions and members may choose to use whichever is suitable to your office situation. The guidelines are as follows:
• All staff and visitors must ensure strict personal hygiene practices including wearing face masks, practising social distancing, washing of hands and frequent sanitisation.
• Staff on duty in the office should be working under a rotational basis, if possible, to control the number of people so that not everyone are present in the office premises at the same time.
• Visitors should set an appointment prior to coming to a travel agency office to limit the number of people present in the office premises at any one time taking into account the need for social distancing.
• Visitors upon arrival at the office are to be checked for temperature screening and to register their attendance in a logbook for contact tracing purposes.
• Suggested fields for contact tracing purposes in a logbook should include Name, Name of Company, Contact Number, Time of Visit (In and Out of the premises), Name of Host/Person Visiting and Signature.
• Visitors are to liaise with the relevant staff through online platforms unless it is deemed essential to visit the office premises.
For more information, kindly click on the link below to view the guidelines as set by the Ministry of Health for your reference:
https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/resources/Penerbitan/Garis%20Panduan/COVID19/Annex_25_COVID_guide_for_workplaces_22032020.pdf
We would also like to urge our members to adhere to all applicable rules and regulations stipulated under the CMCO.
Kindly be guided.
#StaySafe
Thank you.
NIGEL WONG
Hon. Secretary General
MATTA