PUTRAJAYA — Only 400 Malaysians from Singapore will be accepted entry into the country daily through the causeway at the Sultan Iskandar Building and the Second Link at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex in Johor Bahru, announced Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said it was a decision made by the Johor Security Council and the Malaysian Immigration Department to facilitate smooth movement of those who were stranded in the republic since enforcement of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in the country.
He said they are also required to obtain an Entry Permit from the High Commission of Malaysia in the republic, to be applied through email at stmsg@mhc.org.sg, at least two days before the return date.
“The application is now opened and the High Commission has received 900 applications so far,” he told a daily media conference on MCO here today.
Ismail Sabri said that according to the normal Standard Operating Procedures, they are still required to undergo the 14-day quarantine upon their return.
Questioned whether the government has plans to improve the existing policy on hiring of foreign workers, considering the presence of about 3.3 million foreign workers with documents in the country, Ismail Sabri said the matter was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Human Resources.
This followed concerns raised by Malaysians over the increase in COVID-19 cases among foreign workers in Singapore, especially those being accommodated at workers’ hostels in the republic.
So far, Singapore has gazetted 12 affected hostels as isolation areas with most of the infected residents from Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar.
— BERNAMA
