KOTA KINABALU: The move to reopen the country's international borders on April 1 will benefit Sabah's tourism industry, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

       "We stand to greatly benefit from the reopening of the country's borders," Hajiji said on Wednesday (March 9) in welcoming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's announcement.

       Hajiji said that the state government is preparing for the re-opening of borders to welcome visitors back to Sabah - especially the tourism industry, which is the state's major income earner.

       However, Hajiji said that the state will need to adjust its standard operating procedures to cater to Sabah's situation and needs after detailed SOPs are released by the Federal Government.

       "In my numerous engagements with the tourism industry players, this (reopening of borders) is what they have been pushing for," Hajiji said.

       He added that he had lengthy discussions recently with Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents (Matta) president Datuk K.L. Tan, who also appealed for the reopening of borders.

       On Tuesday (March 8), Ismail Sabri said that Malaysian citizens with valid travel documents can enter and leave the country as they did before the pandemic.

       He also said that fully-vaccinated travellers do not need to undergo quarantine upon returning to Malaysia, adding that they will only need to get tested for Covid-19 before and upon arrival.

       The country’s international borders have been more or less closed since the first movement control order (MCO) in March 2020.