Malaysia has lifted requirements for Vietnamese foreign workers and tourists entering the country to undergo a 10-day quarantine and provide health documents to show they do not have Sars, a report said today.

This followed Vietnam's declaration that it had brought the Sars outbreak under control after 20 days with no new infections, Health Minister Chua Jui Meng was quoted as saying by The Star.

"The move will be a big relief to many employers," he said. Some 32,000 Vietnamese currently work in Malaysia.

Pre-departure screening

The government will also implement pre-boarding and pre-departure screening at its train station in central Singapore because local officials do not carry out such checks, Chua added.

Malaysia last month lifted a temporary freeze o­n issuing visas to visitors from Vietnam, but still required them to be quarantined and to produce health documents to show they are free from Sars.

Vietnam, along with the other Sars-affected nations China, Hong Kong, Canada and Taiwan, have been targeted by Malaysia in its efforts to curb the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) which has killed more than 550 people globally.

Travel restrictions o­n all the countries, except China, have since been lifted. - AFP