If you’re missing Hiap Joo banana cake because you can’t get your hands on the group buy in Singapore, know that you’re not the only one who wants the border reopened.
The first minister (Menteri Besar) of Johor, Hasni Mohammad, wants the same thing too.
No, it’s not because he misses the Chicken Rice here. They have The Chicken Rice Shop, which has the greatest halal chicken rice ever.
It’s because 100,000 Malaysian workers’ livelihoods are depending on this.
Johor Govt Leader: 100K M’sians Will Lose Their Jobs If Daily Commute Cannot Resume
In a report by The Star, Minister Hasni Mohammad is reportedly urging for the Federal Government of Malaysia to allow borders for daily commute soon.
The current rate of unemployment in Johor is already at an all-time high, he pointed out.
They’re standing at 18%, which translates to about 35,000 people jobless.
And apparently, that’s just the start.
About 5 to 10% of the state’s businesses have closed down due to cash flow issues, and out of the 250,000 Malaysians who commute daily into Singapore to work, about 100,000 of them might lose their jobs if the border closure continues.
100,000 workers which the Johor state government is not confident of finding employment for.
Have A Different Criteria For JB and S’pore
State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan agreed with Mr Hasni, saying that Singapore and Johor Bahru should have a “different criterion”, instead of the blanket treatment that the whole of Malaysia is under right now.
It was also pointed out that Johor has been a “green zone for more than a month since the travel arrangements with Singapore kicked into effect.
Students First, Then Workers
Mr Hasni, who is in contact with Malaysia’s prime minister to find a way to keep infections down while reopening borders, suggests a way to reopen the borders in stages.
“Let’s start with students and then gradually move to workers,” he suggested.
In other words, if you’re missing your Hiap Joo banana cake and happy that someone in power is thinking of reopening the borders, don’t be too happy yet because, well, their focus is on economic well-being, not the well-being of your tastebuds.
Don’t be too sad though because someone managed to find a recipe for a banana cake that tastes’ 90% similar to the real thing.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Prime Minister has said, just a week ago, that they will not be rushing to reopen borders despite the impact on the economy and workers.
Speaking in a televised address on Wednesday (16 Sep), Muhyiddin noted how countries around the world are struggling to contain the virus and prevent new waves.
“The same can happen here if we let our guard down and disregard the global situation”, he said.
He acknowledged that the border closure has affected many Malaysians, especially those working in Singapore, but said that preventing more casualties is just as important.
“We must strike a fine balance between protecting lives and livelihoods of all Malaysians,” he said.
You can read more here.
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