SINGAPORE: Singaporeans may be allowed to enter Malaysia without the need to undergo COVID-19 screening and home quarantine, but there should be a reciprocal arrangement for Malaysians, said Putrajaya on Friday (Jun 19).
Speaking during a press conference on COVID-19 measures, Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the Malaysian government has agreed to allow citizens from both Singapore and Brunei to visit freely provided the same flexibility is extended to Malaysians entering both countries.
Mr Ismail Sabri, who is also defence minister, said this was because both Singapore and Brunei are categorised as green zones by the Malaysian Health Ministry.
“We have agreed to allow Singapore citizens that live in Singapore or Brunei citizens who live in Brunei to come into our country. Hence, we are opening up our country to Singapore citizens and Brunei citizens to come in without the need for approval from our immigration department or to undergo COVID-19 screening tests or home quarantine,” he said.
However, he noted that this was on the condition that Malaysians would also be afforded the same privileges.
“The loosening of the border restrictions must be reciprocated and both these countries must allow our citizens to enter without restrictions, as we have allowed,” said Mr Ismail Sabri.
For the case of Singapore, he stressed that the decision is dependent on the outcome of discussions between the foreign ministries of both sides.
“This is being negotiated by our foreign ministry with Singapore’s foreign ministry. They are still discussing … If they agree to our suggestions, we will agree to relax the restrictions and open our borders. So we have to wait and see how the discussions pan out,” the minister added.
READ: All travellers coming into Singapore to be tested before stay-home notice ends
READ: Allowing Malaysians to commute to Singapore will boost both countries’ economies, says Johor chief minister
Earlier this month, Singapore’s National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that measures, safeguards and precautions have to be put in place before travel can resume between Singapore and Malaysia.
Mr Wong, who co-chairs the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force, said that before such travel can resume, testing may have to be carried out, a quarantine period may have to be imposed, or a combination of both measures.
He added that the volume of travel at the land checkpoints would not be as high as before COVID-19 hit both countries.
“We are talking about resumption of travel, but in a controlled manner and in a safe manner for both sides. That's in our mutual interest,” he said.
Malaysia's movement control order (MCO) has been in place since Mar 18, restricting domestic and international travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now in the recovery phase of the MCO, which will last until Aug 31.
Similarly, Singapore implemented a circuit breaker period from Apr 7 to Jun 1, which tightened border controls. It is currently in phase 2 of post-circuit breaker reopening.
To break the chain of infection, both governments mandated a 14-day quarantine for people entering the countries. These measures made it impossible for Malaysians, who live in Johor but work in Singapore, to travel across the strait.
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNoYW5uZWxuZXdzYXNpYS5jb20vbmV3cy9hc2lhL3NpbmdhcG9yZS1tYWxheXNpYS1jb3ZpZC0xOS1zd2FiLXRlc3QtcXVhcmFudGluZS1pc21haWwtc2FicmktMTI4NTIwNDbSAQA?oc=5
2020-06-19 09:46:34Z
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