Travelling during a pandemic is complicated, an expensive affair and time consuming due to the enhanced SOPs – pre-flight / on-arrival tests, paperwork & approvals, proof of vaccination status, mandatory quarantine and follow-up tests, which can change suddenly whenever a new variant surfaces.

All travellers to Malaysia must quarantine from between 7 to 14 days depending on their vaccination status. (With effect from January 24, fully vaccinated persons with Booster shots need only quarantine for 5 days.)

Citizen and non-citizen travellers who have a residence in Malaysia (including PR and Malaysia MY Second Home) who return or arrive from abroad and have been fully vaccinated, are allowed to undergo mandatory quarantine at home and are given a digital Home Surveillance and Observation Order (HSO) subject to the risk assessment of the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) and details issued by the MOH.

National Recovery Plan, Phase 4 (Jan 2022)

KLIA Arrival Procedure
On January 19, I landed just before 7.00 am after a 12-hour flight from UK. The quiet and relatively empty terminal was just beginning to stir as we made our way to immigration.  

Mandatory Covid SOP checkpoints (just before entry to Immigration Hall) 
Counter 1 : Verification of fully vaccinated status on MySejahtera & pre-flight PCR negative test
Counter 2 : On arrival PCR-test by health personnel (FOC for Malaysians, RM250 for foreigners)
Counter 3 : Verification of HSO approval, fitting of Digital wrist tracker

I was done in 25 minutes, proceeded to Immigration (counters 50/51) and was through quickly as there was no queue. At the baggage claim area, all bags were off the conveyor belt and waiting to be collected. An hour after touchdown, I was in a taxi, enroute to Home Quarantine from 19 - 26 January 2022. 

Tip: Airport check-in goes faster (and smoothly) when you have all your documents printed, rather than locating and displaying digital versions on smartphone.

As I was fully vaccinated, I opted for Home Quarantine at a friend’s untenanted apartment in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI). Having the entire place to myself for the next 7 days, is a big improvement compared to a hotel room.

The master bedroom was beyond spacious for one of me, on top of the living and dining area, and two other bedrooms I did not use.

The kitchen served me well enough for boiling water for hot drinks and washing up. I had requested my sister to stock up milk and drinking water for the duration of my stay.

The kitchen led out to a small but functional laundry area, if I so was inclined.

Safely in my ‘cell’, I settled in by unpacking only stuff I needed for the next 7 days and had a quick shower. After a most satisfying nasi lemak lunch, I gave in to fatigue and slept from 2 – 6pm.

Unfounded fears of self-isolation
My main concern with quarantine was boredom. In reality, I only had fleeting moments of ‘nothing to do’. Being alone allowed me to get over jet lag (wide awake in the wee hours and napping in the afternoon) without bothering anyone else. I was kept suitably occupied organising my daily meals, and sorting out clinics for my Day-5 PCR test and Day-8 digital tracker removal.

Though the kitchen was not equipped for cooking, it was not an issue as my plan was to have meals delivered daily. GrabFood (food delivery service) is very convenient here, with a wide selection of cuisines from nearby suburbs. My daily indulgences ranged from Ipoh hor fun soup, nasi lemak, Poke bowl, pizza to teriyaki chicken.

Quick tip: Best to place orders early (10am) for delivery later, as some outlets do not accept orders closer to lunch time. There’s also a longer wait during peak hours as delivery personnel are busy.

Getting about
The plan was for me to drive to the nearest clinic for my Day-5 PCR test. I opted to go to a private clinic as Government clinics are not open on Sunday. My sister had dropped off my car at the apartment the day before.