Last update: November 8th, 2021.
The Malaysian COVID app, MySejahtera, has been available since April 2020 and has undergone a few facelifts to accommodate contact tracing as well as vaccination certificates.
Most recently it has been updated to accommodate printing physical copies of the Malaysia vaccine certificate, especially for travel purposes.
Domestic tourism is being promoted for vaccinated Malaysians in an effort to revive its economy, crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MySejahtera app is available on Google Play, Galeri Aplikasi Mudah Alih Kerajaan Malaysia, Huawei App Gallery, and the Apple App Store. It got over 6 million downloads in its first three months.
How to download a COVID-19 vaccine certificate in Malaysia
Malaysian vaccine certificates can be added to the MySejahtera app. Users register in the app by using their phone number or email address and ID number.
Malaysians will be issued a COVID-19 vaccination badge at their place of vaccination. There, they can also request to have the certificate of vaccination uploaded to their MySejahtera profile.
Vaccine certificates on your MySejahtera profile include the user’s name, date of vaccination, place where the vaccine was acquired, and the batch number.
Each certificate has a unique QR code that is checked by the Vaccine Certificate Verifier app, which is also able to verify the EU Digital COVID Certificate and Singapore’s vaccine certificate.
How to print a vaccine certificate in Malaysia
The printing process for the vaccination certificate in Malaysia has been streamlined and is proving to be effective.
Printing is only available from version 1.0.48 and upward, and users are encouraged to update the app as often as possible.
Under the profile section of the app, one can view the digital Malaysian vaccine certificate, and the option for “Generate” has been added under the vaccine dose details.
This option will generate a PDF version of the certificate that can then be downloaded for printing.
How to get digital certificate for COVID vaccination in Malaysia if vaccinated abroad
Vaccine certificates in Malaysia can now be easily obtained through the MySejahtera app thanks to the latest updates, even if the user was vaccinated outside of Malaysia.
Users need simply log onto the app’s help desk and select option “N. I have received my vaccination overseas and would like to obtain my digital certificate in MySejahtera.”
Users will then be prompted to fill in some basic information and upload their foreign vaccine certificate. Once approved, the app will display the QR code confirming vaccination.
“Regardless of the nationality, we want to, most importantly, confirm whether the vaccination certificates issued abroad are genuine and to find out the types of vaccines received,” said Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Adham Baba.
Fake COVID certificates in Malaysia: official warning
Fake vaccine certificates have been a worldwide problem for months now, and Malaysian authorities are warning of the potential repercussions if caught with one of them.
Offenders could face up to 7 years in jail and fines of $24,000. Certificates are being advertised on the Telegram messaging service and cost anywhere between $15 and $400.
The Malaysian Medical Association’s president, Dr. Koh Kar Chai, explains that many general practitioners are being approached directly by anti-vaxxers too.
“This issue of fake vaccine certificates first came up when certain countries started raising the prospect of needing a vaccine passport for travel and became amplified when our own government brought up the issue of recognizing vaccine certificates in this country for various purposes,” he said.
What do I need the MySejahtera app for?
On top of storing and showing vaccine certificates, the MySejahtera app allows users to scan special QR codes displayed at restaurants, bars, shops, and other public spaces, in order to safely move around during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These QR codes allow users to track their own movements and be alerted if they might have been in contact with a positive COVID case, similar to New Zealand’s tracker app or the TousAntiCovid app in France.
This also enables businesses to follow the standard operating procedures set out by the government to welcome patrons and workers back safely. This includes checking if patrons are medically fit to enter the premises.
COVID-19 booster shots in Malaysia
Malaysia has started to administer COVID-19 booster shots to senior citizens and healthcare workers who have been fully vaccinated for more than 6 months.
The MySejahtera app will conveniently notify eligible citizens and those who do not use the app will be phoned or texted by the vaccination center directly.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin explained how the booster shots will work: “The booster dose involves those who previously completed their two doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and they will be given the same vaccine as the booster dose or homologous vaccination.”
Mixed vaccinations are seen as effective too, and the Malaysian Health Ministry will soon start research on the matter.
“The research will be implemented in Sarawak next month [November] and will be expanded to other states after obtaining the approval from the Medical Research and Ethics Committee,” said Jamaluddin.
COVID-19 restrictions eased in Malaysia: Phase 4 recovery plan
During the first weeks of September, the Malaysian government eased restrictions on various businesses in an effort to revive the economy.
Economic growth predictions in Malaysia were lowered from 7,5% to 3% this year, meaning that COVID-19 dealt a devastating blow to their economy.
Cultural institutions like theatres, cinemas, museums, and galleries are now open to vaccinated visitors, but with limited capacity.
The land border between Singapore and Malaysia is also open for vaccinated travelers as many people commute between the two daily.
Malaysia has been re-opening in phases. The provinces of Kelantan and Sarawak remain in Phase 3.
The rest of the country has moved on to the most advanced re-opening yet, Phase 4, wherein “all sectors of the economy are opened” according to the government’s national recovery plan.
COVID-19 travel regulations in Malaysia
Malaysia has moved towards a “living with COVID” strategy after protests and political turmoil arose after strict lockdowns in the middle of the year.
Domestic travel and tourism are re-opening for fully vaccinated individuals as promised as the country has vaccinated 90% of the adult population.
Fully vaccinated Malaysians can also travel abroad and re-enter the country and need to do a PCR test before and upon arrival. Seven days of self-quarantine are also required upon return.
Countries allowing Malaysian vaccinated tourists include Thailand, the UK, Canada, Switzerland, France, the UAE, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Egypt, Mauritius, Iceland, and Ireland.
Malaysia followed the tiered reopening plan set out by Thailand, opening the island cluster of Langkawi in September for leisure purposes. Strict protocols remained in place and travel is only for vaccinated people.
COVID-19 health situation in Malaysia
Malaysia had control over the virus for most of 2020 until cases started to rise slowly in September 2021. The first and second waves both peaked at less than 10,000 new cases per day but the third wave peaked at close to 25,000 in August.
Since then, numbers have declined to less than 5,000 new cases per day in November and the total number of infections by November 8th was 2,506,309.
Despite the high positivity rate, Malaysia has a comparably low mortality rate, only around 29,000 have died. This is a ratio of 8 people per 10,000 in the population.
After a slow vaccine roll-out, they started gaining momentum in June and nearly 95% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated. Just over 75% of adolescents between 12 and 17 years old have been vaccinated.