Guide to Surviving Malaysia’s Government Quarantine

In late July 2020 the Government updated their Covid19 RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order) requiring all inbound international visitors to follow specific guidelines and steps at the airport and to enter Malaysian’s Government Quarantine (2-weeks) upon arrival.

A number of hotels have been designated Covid19 Quarantine Hotels in and around Kuala Lumpur. While the hotels chosen are not 5-star establishments, they can be classified as 3 or 4 star accommodation. You can expect a basic hotel room with a private bath.

During your stay in Malaysia’s Government Quarantine you will not be permitted to leave your room for any reason. Food and beverages will be delivered to your room. Laundry services will also be provided. All hotels will have Wi-Fi, but the strength and quality may vary – our advice is to pick up a SIM card at the airport to ensure you have access to your social media accounts and your favorite streaming services.

Check List

Consider packing some of the following items in order to keep yourself and loved ones stimulated and occupied during your Malaysian Government Quarantine.

General

• Note Book / laptop / tablet
• Books / Kindle
• travel adaptor and multi-plug
• Crosswords / Sudoku
• Pens

Toiletries

• Shampoo, conditioner and soaps – if you prefer not to use those provided by the hotel
• Panadol
• Essential Oils / Bubble Bath
• Face Masks – you will be able to buy masks once your quarantine is completed, but you should bring a supply of re-usable and/or disposable masks to use until then
• Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer

Snacks

While the food provided is, by all accounts, very good, the variety of meals on offer may not meet your expectations. Having some favorite snacks / comfort food on hand is recommended, but don’t go overboard!

• Dried Fruit
• Nuts
• Crackers
• Breakfast Bars
• Chocolate
• Sweets
• Alcohol (if so inclined)
• Instant Oatmeal
• Herbal Tea
• Set of metal cutlery

Miscellaneous

If you wanted to decorate your room a little bit and make it feel more like home perhaps you could bring a photo or a poster to put on the wall.

Money for incidentals. Credit card to pay for your room (Byron Recruitment Schools refund this expense, but the policy likely differs from school to school).

Yoga mat, resistance bands and other compact workout equipment.

For the Kids

• Crayons and Coloring Books
• Board games, puzzles, models and playing cards
• Gaming Console
• Favorite toys, blanket, pajamas, toys for the bath…
• School work or projects

How to Occupy Your Time

• Exercise / Yoga / Meditation
  • We are big fans of Yoga With Adriene and Sworkit
• Movies / Streaming
• Reading
• Phone and video chats with loved ones
• Letter writing / correspondence
• Plan to complete an online course or study a foreign language, try basic Malay phrases

Most teachers destined for Malaysia’s Government Quarantine are not looking forward to their time in isolation, but the teachers I’ve spoken to have all said it was not as bad as they had anticipated. Those that had a project and a goal for the two weeks, be it to study, read, exercise, class planning or simply to relax and recoup, report feeling good about what they accomplished during their time in Malaysia’s Government Quarantine.

For more information about finding international teaching jobs and opportunities while under the shadow of a world wide pandemic – click HERE

If you want to find a teaching job abroad with an international school please email your CV to teachers@byronrecruitment.com. Or visit our Open Roles Page to view our current vacancies.