Love can’t keep them together: Malaysia’s COVID-19 lockdown shutting out foreign spouses
KUALA LUMPUR - Midway through their return to Kuala Lumpur from the United Kingdom after a late honeymoon last month, Daniel bin Abdullah McLean and his pregnant Malaysian bride, Sophia Khan, learned that only one of them would make it home.
Their return coincided with the Malaysian government imposing movement restrictions, on March 18, known as the movement control order (MCO). The MCO was first extended from Mar 31 to April 14 but on Apr 10 it was further stretched to the 28th of this month.
Under rules that had been announced earlier, only Malaysian citizens, permanent residents, expats working in essential industries and the foreign spouses of Malaysians would be allowed to enter the country.
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