KUALA LUMPUR, Mar 30 — Families with domestic helpers stuck in their home nations due to closed international borders can begin applying for them to return to Malaysia through the Immigration Department, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today. 

The Senior Defence Minister explained the leeway only applies to helpers stranded and still with a valid working permit and travel visa. 

"For instance, if these helpers returned to their countries for a holiday but ended up stranded after our borders were closed, the government agreed to allow cases like these to apply through the My Travel Pass programme,” he said during his non-health Covid-19 press conference this evening. 

Ismail explained that helpers looking to enter Malaysia will need to be swab tested three days before travelling and will then be subjected to mandatory quarantine for seven days upon arrival here, the cost of which is born by their employers. 

Additionally, following repeated pleas for the Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa), Ismail said the government has decided to allow agencies here to begin processing new applications by those looking to obtain foreign domestic helpers. 

He said this would allow those looking for helpers to get a head start in the application process, which Ismail said he understands requires up to three to four months to complete, in anticipation of international borders reopening in the future.

"We agreed because I was told the length for the process to get a domestic helper is around three to four months because there are a lot of documents they need to obtain, like a visa, work permit and these things take time. 

"But, even though they have obtained approval, they still cannot bring in these helpers until the government allows new foreign helpers to enter, or when our borders reopen. 

"So they (Papa) asked for permission to begin processing these new applications because if let’s say, we open the borders in August or September, and then only allow them to begin processing applications, it would take another four months and they would be able to bring in the helper only in December. 

"But if they are allowed to process new applications from now, and if we open the borders four months from now in August, they would be able to bring in these helpers without delay,” he explained.