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Ongoing Protests

Since the recent outbreak of conflict in Israel and Gaza, there have been ongoing protests throughout Kuala Lumpur. Protest activity is usually the largest on Fridays and weekends.

Protests tend to happen near central landmarks and busy tourist areas, including around Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the National Mosque, the US Embassy and Merdeka Square.

As set out on Smartraveller:

You could encounter protests or demonstrations on the streets or at certain venues.

Protest activity could lead to violence and disrupt public services, including public transport, and cause traffic congestion. However, this is rare.

Police permission is needed for public gatherings and demonstrations. If you take part in a protest or demonstration, authorities could arrest and deport you.

Avoid protests and demonstrations.

During periods of unrest:

check the news and other sources for information on planned and possible unrest or strikes
follow the advice of local authorities
plan your activities to avoid unrest on national or commemorative days
be ready to change your travel plans

If civil unrest disrupts your transport plans, contact your airline, travel agent or insurer for help.

Medibank Private/ahm and other recent data breaches – advice for foreign passport holders

Medibank Private/ahm have advised the Australian Passport Office (APO) that no Australian Travel Document information was compromised in this breach.

Foreign passports for international students were compromised through this cyberattack. Medibank Private/ahm are contacting impacted customers directly.

If Medibank Private/ahm have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do. This is also the case for all data breaches that impact foreign passport holders, including the recent breaches at Optus and Medlab.

Click here for more info.

Travelling to Australia

From 6 July 2022, the way you travel to and from Australia has changed. All travellers should be aware that:

People entering Australia do not need to provide evidence of vaccination status
People entering Australia do not need to complete the Digital Passenger Declaration or Maritime Travel Declaration
People leaving Australia will not be asked to provide evidence of their vaccination status
Unvaccinated visa holders do not need a travel exemption to travel to Australia
Masks are still required on flights travelling to Australia.

It is important to remember that airlines, vessel operators and other countries may have specific requirements that travellers need to comply with.

For more information, please see: COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au)

Foreign citizens need the right visa to come to Australia. ETAs are just one of many visa options available to Malaysians who regularly travel to Australia. To identify the best visa for you, you can use the Visa Finder tool https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder. Processing times for different visas will vary.

ETAs are exclusively available through the Australian ETA app channel for all eligible jurisdictions. We recommend you apply for an ETA at least 4 weeks in advance of planned travel and do not confirm your booking until your visa is granted. For more information on ETAs, visit https://malaysia.highcommission.gov.au/klpr/ETA.html.

Travelling to Malaysia

Malaysia's borders reopened to travellers on 1 April 2022. While entry approvals are no longer required, new entry requirements and normal immigration procedures to enter Malaysia still apply to all visitors.

For more information on immigration procedures, please refer to Malaysian Immigration’s website, https://www.imi.gov.my/portal2017/index.php/en/entry-requirements-into-malaysia.html .

The guidelines for travellers to Malaysia, please refer to MySafeTravel and PROSEDUR KEMASUKAN PENGEMBARA KE MALAYSIA | COVID-19 MALAYSIA (moh.gov.my).

COVID-19 Australian Government information

For the latest news, updates and advice from the Australian Government on COVID-19, go to: https://www.australia.gov.au/.

There is also an Australian Government COVID-19 app you can download from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and a new WhatsApp channel. These all have regularly-updated information from Commonwealth, state and territory governments, on quarantine and travel restrictions.

Travel advice specific to Malaysia can be found at https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/malaysia.

Please check this High Commission website, and follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AusinMalaysia/), and the High Commissioner on twitter (https://twitter.com/AusHCMalaysia), for latest updates.

Do you have questions on COVID-19? Please go to the following link for latest updates and FAQs.

Consular services

The Australian High Commission continues to provide consular assistance for Australians in Malaysia. The Consular Services Charter outlines the consular assistance that may be provided to Australians overseas, and also responsibilities that lie outside the Australian Government’s consular role.

If you require consular assistance while in Malaysia, you can contact the Australian High Commission Consular Office in Kuala Lumpur between 8.30am - 4:30pm (weekdays) at +60 3 2146 5575. Alternatively, you can email us at: [email protected]

If you require consular assistance outside of business hours, or on a weekend, you can call the Consular Emergency Centre in Australia, which is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on +61 2 6261 3305, or via our High Commission switchboard, +60 3 2146 5555.

Visit the Smartraveller website to find the latest information from the Australian Government on COVID-19 for Australians abroad: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/news-and-updates/coronavirus-covid-19. Travel advice specific to Malaysia can be found at https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/malaysia.

For local information, the Malaysian Ministry of Health publishes COVID-19 updates on its Twitter account (https://twitter.com/KKMPutrajaya), as does the Director-General of Health (https://twitter.com/DGHisham). The Malaysian Government’s key webpage for updates on COVID-19 is found at http://covid-19.moh.gov.my.

Australian visa scams

The Department of Home Affairs warns people to be very cautious regarding claims that Australian visas are allegedly for sale. These claims are not true. Australian visas are not for sale. Visas can only be obtained through official channels. Read more...

Smartraveller

Smartraveller has the latest, authoritative travel advice so you can be informed and prepared about overseas travel. Subscribe to receive travel advice updates - by simply supplying your name and email address – straight to your inbox.

You can now also subscribe to the new SMS service - by supplying your mobile number – to receive critical alerts in the event of a crisis overseas.

In a crisis, Smartraveller will activate a crisis page on its website. It will make it easier for you or someone you know to contact the Australian Government if you need help. It will supplement the consular emergency hotline.

Visit www.smartraveller.gov.au to subscribe or connect with Smartraveller on Facebook and Twitter.

Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP)

In January 2021, our prime ministers elevated the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The CSP commits leaders to meet annually and is underpinned by three streams of cooperation: economic prosperity; society and technology; and defence and regional security. Under the CSP, Australia and Malaysia will expand cooperation on economic recovery and growth, health, education and the digital economy, as well as in new areas of science and innovation. The prime ministers also committed to increase cooperation on strategic and maritime issues to support a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region.

Australia now Malaysia 2021-2022

Australia now is the Australian Government’s flagship public diplomacy initiative celebrating Australia’s creative excellence, diversity and innovation, delivered each year in a country or region of strategic significance. Australia now Malaysia celebrates our longstanding bilateral ties and enduring people-to-people links, and raises Australia’s profile as an innovative and creative nation.

For more information on the Australia now Malaysia program, visit https://malaysia.celebrateaustralianow.com/

OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises

The Australian Government encourages Australian enterprises operating overseas and multinational enterprises operating in Australia to observe the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The Guidelines provide voluntary principles and standards for responsible business conduct in a variety of areas, including:

human rights;
employment and industrial relations;
environment;
combating bribery, bribe solicitation and extortion;
consumer interests;
science and technology;
competition; and
taxation.

The Australian National Contact Point (AusNCP) promotes the use of the OECD Guidelines and contributes to the resolution of issues relating to their implementation, including facilitating access to conciliation services.

INDO-PACIFIC ENDEAVOUR BACK IN MALAYSIA

Australia’s flagship regional engagement activity, Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE), returns to Malaysia with the arrival of HMAS Sydney in Kota Kinabalu. Read more...

Australia Honours War Heroes in Sandakan

Each year on 15 August the community of Sandakan comes together to commemorate Sandakan Day. The annual service sees veterans, families as well as local and foreign dignitaries gather in Sandakan to honour the Australian and British soldiers who were held there as prisoners of war between 1942 and 1945. Sandakan Day also commemorates the sacrifice of the local people of Sabah, many of whom risked severe punishment, and in some cases their lives, to help the prisoners. Read more...

Joint statement for the 2nd Australia-Malaysia Annual Leaders’ Meeting

The Prime Minister of Australia, The Honourable Anthony Albanese MP, welcomed the Prime Minister of Malaysia, The Honourable Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, to Melbourne for the 2nd Australia-Malaysia Annual Leaders’ Meeting on 4 March 2024. Read more...

Australia’s NEXTDC to build RM 3 billion data centre in Malaysia

The Australian High Commission Malaysia welcomes the 8 June 2023 announcement that Australian data centre operator NEXTDC Limited will build its KL1 data centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor – meaning its first overseas data centre will be in Malaysia. Read more...

Australian immersive multimedia installation Walking through a Songline
opens at the National Art Gallery of Malaysia (Balai Seni Negara)

Walking through a Songline is a pop-up light installation in which visitors can immerse themselves in ancient knowledge communicated through new technology. This dramatic digital experience is based on a component of the National Museum of Australia’s internationally acclaimed exhibition Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, which takes visitors on a journey along the epic Seven Sisters Dreaming tracks. Read more...

Australia now: Lights Up - An 11-night light show on the Australian High Commission Building

Australia now: Lights Up is a dazzling light show projected onto the Australian High Commission building in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Lights Up is the centrepiece of the Australia now Malaysia program, which showcases the best of Australian innovation, diversity and creative excellence. The illuminations have been produced through a collaboration between Australia’s Mosster Studio and Malaysia’s Filamen. Read more...

Boosting Australian engagement with Malaysia

In 2021 we will celebrate Australia’s economic, scientific, education and cultural links with Malaysia, through the Australian Government’s flagship public diplomacy program, Australia now. Read more...

For more news, please go to the news archive page.

Education Enquiries

For further information on studying and living in Australia, please visit the Australian Government website, www.studyaustralia.gov.au. This website provides information on Australian institutions, courses, scholarships, application process, visa requirements and more. If you’re unsure as to what career or course would be best fit for you, try the Career Matcher tool. Alternatively, use the comprehensive search tool on the StudyAustralia website and submit your enquiry about a course.

Distinguished Alumni

The High Commission values the contribution the alumni of all Australian universities bring and endeavours to cultivate stronger and closer links through building and maintaining alumni relations as an important aspect of bilateral education ties between Australia and Malaysia.

We are constantly updating our distinguished alumni database. For more information and registration for future alumni events, please email [email protected].