KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Malaysians fully vaccinated against Covid-19 may be prevented from entering Hong Kong starting tomorrow after the special administrative region put the country among 25 that it considered "high risk”.

Malaysiakini reported today that the new policy requires those vaccinated in the "high-risk” countries to present vaccination certificates in order to enter Hong Kong.

However, the required vaccination certificates are reportedly unavailable here while those issued by the Malaysian government were not recognised.

This could leave Malaysian students, business travellers and some Hong Kong residents unable to travel to the SAR.

According to the report, Hong Kong will only recognise its own vaccinations certificates, those from authorities in Mainland China, Macau or from a country with a "bilateral vaccination record recognition agreement with Hong Kong”.

Otherwise, travellers will reportedly require a vaccination record issued by one of 36 regulatory authorities that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has deemed as a "stringent regulatory authority”.

A check on the WHO website shows that it refers to "Stringent Regulatory Authorities” as members, observers and associates of the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH).

Only eight in Hong Kong’s list of "high-risk” countries have access to these authorities — leaving Malaysia and 16 others, such as Brazil, India, and Philippines; without a way onto the island.

Malaysiakini also reported that the Consul General of Malaysia in Hong Kong and Macau, Yap Wei Sin, confirmed that Hong Kong residents vaccinated in Malaysia would also not be able to enter the island without the required certificates.