Covid effect: Telugus stranded after Malaysia bans entry of Indians

VISAKHAPATNAM: Hundreds of Indian immigrants, particularly from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, along with Telugu-origin Malaysians and their relatives are left in the lurch after Malaysia barred people from India to enter the country, starting September 7, over Covid-19 fears. The ban is likely to continue at least till December.
The Malaysian government on Thursday issued a notification banning tourists from 11 “high risk” countries, including India, to tackle Covid-19.Travel agents from Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad and immigration officials at Visakhapatnam International Airport and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport claimed that people from the two Telugu-speaking states would be the worst sufferers.

“Over five lakh Telugus have made Malaysia their home and they and their relatives often shuttle between India and Malaysia. In addition, there are close to one lakh immigrants from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala, working in Malaysia. The decision would affect them,” Ganesh Rao Susarla, a Hyderabad-based travel agent and executive member of Travel Agents Association of India, told TOI.