M’sia PM Asked S’pore to Consider Letting M’sians Who Work in S’pore to Commute Daily Between 2 Countries

For ages, we’ve heard of the inexplicable plight that has befallen Malaysians working in Singapore:

Between income and family, which would they choose?

Lest you’re unaware of what I’m talking about, here’s a brief run-through: after the Covid-19 was declared a global epidemic, countries all around the world began instituting border control, thereby restricting their own citizens from leaving and barring entry to foreigners. And of course, Malaysia and Singapore weren’t any different. However, this also meant that for Malaysians working in Singapore, it was either their job or their family.

TLDR? Here’s a VICE video to explain things in more graphical detail:

As a result of border control, countless stories of Malaysians trekking back across the causeway have also made news headlines back home. In essence, it represented a tough break for the affiliated Malaysians, and one can only wonder when things will be, well…

Back to normal for them.

M’sia PM Asked S’pore to Consider Letting M’sians Who Work in S’pore to Commute Daily Between 2 Countries

Thankfully, it seems that the situation might get under control in the near future, if authorities from both sides of the equation have their way.

According to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysia has requested for Singapore to consider a suitable arrangement, which would allow Singapore-based workers to travel between both countries on a more frequent basis.

The topic was reportedly touched upon in a phone conversation with Singapore’s own Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

“We are in agreement that the reopening of our borders should be done carefully according to certain health guidelines and protocols to rejuvenate the economic and tourism sectors, which will greatly benefit both countries,” Mr Muhyiddin expressed in a statement on Facebook.

Deemed as a Periodical Commuting Arrangement between Malaysia and Singapore, the measure could mean cross-border travel of a more ‘frequent’ nature, should it be implemented.

“Under this arrangement, residents of both countries can work in the other country for a period of fewer than three months and will be allowed to enter their country of origin when going on leave.

“This proposal is in line with the government’s concern over the fate of Malaysians, especially those working in Singapore and who could not return home because of the tight standard operating procedure (SOP) for quarantine in both countries,” he added.

As for the concerns of SOP and health protocols, Muhyiddin said that an appropriate measure could be meted out soon to support the proposal.

“Any decision on this agreement, however, is subject to the level of preparedness of both countries regarding the aspect of the capacity to implement COVID-19 screening and swab tests,” he said.

Earlier this week, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan conceded that the country’s border with Malaysia will eventually be re-opened. However, it will be only be done so on a step-by-step basis.

“But we can open up in steps, have the appropriate measures to test people, contact trace people because when you open up, your risk (of infection) will inevitably increase,” he said.

He also added that he would “hesitate to put a timeline” on things, with public health being one of the main concerns underlying the re-opening.

For the sake of all affiliated parties, however, we can only hope that things will go their way sooner than expected.

Cross-Border Travel for Some Residents and Business Travellers to be Allowed

There are some updates today, but it’s unknown if it’ll affect the Malaysians who are commuting to Singapore daily yet.

A Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and a Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) will be set up for different groups of travellers.

So, what’s the function behind these fancy names?

An RGL will allow cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes.

A PCA will allow people in both countries with long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes to “return home for leave after spending at least three consecutive months in their country of work, and they will be allowed to re-enter their country of work after their home leave.”

Of course that leads to the question of whether daily commute is still feasible. Officials are still working on the details, and both Singapore and Malaysia PMs have told their officials to “work expeditiously” on the operational details this arrangement.

In other words, don’t wait till Christmas lah.

And they should, given that things like this are happening:

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