PUTRAJAYA needs to open its Malaysia-Singapore border by using the test-and-release method as most individuals from both countries have been fully vaccinated, Johor DAP said.

State DAP chief Liew Chin Tong in a press conference said that the method is a practical way which has been implemented in many countries with high vaccination rates.

Under the test-and-release scheme, a traveller only needs to do a rapid test on arrival to show that the individual is negative for Covid-19.

“The Malaysia-Singapore border needs to be fully opened as soon as possible using the test-and-release method. Our population as well as Singapore’s have been fully inoculated and both have entered the booster vaccine phase.

“Although still under the threat of the Omicron variant, the country’s healthcare system is still able to cope with its impact, and most positive cases are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms and not life threatening,” said the former deputy defence minister.

However, he added, the Johor government needs to command a “special task force” that helps provide views and implementation methods regarding the opening of borders where local factors are taken into account.

“Putrajaya needs to use the right strategies in cross-border control matters in the post-Covid-19 era. The risk of epidemic transmission and economic and social factors need to be considered together,” he stated.

Recently, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will soon announce the date for the reopening of the country’s borders.

“We already have a date, and we will leave it to him to announce it soon,” Khairy told a press conference last week.

Speaking further, Liew said if full opening was not feasible, the current vaccinated travel lane (VTL) arrangement must be expanded.

In order to expand the scheme, Liew said more Malaysian or Singaporean bus companies should be allowed to participate in VTL routes. 

“The number of VTL tickets for air and land needs to be increased to accommodate higher demand.”

“More air VTL tickets (KLIA/Changi, Changi/KLIA) can also help in controlling the price of air VTL tickets.”

“Land VTL should be extended to private cars and motorcycles. When compared to buses, in fact the risk of infection for private vehicles and motorcycles is lower than for buses,” he said.

On January 21, both Malaysia and Singapore allowed the resumption of ticket sales for land and air VTL, but with a 50% reduction in capacity compared to before.

The quota for the land VTL is now 1,440 tickets per day for each way, while air VTL is limited to six flights daily.

The joint press conference today was also attended by the party’s Johor elections candidates: Andrew Chen (Stulang), Liow Cai Tung (Johor Jaya), Marina Ibrahim (Skudai) and Muda’s Amira Aisya Abd Aziz (Puteri Wangsa).

The push to reopen the Johor-Singapore border has been significant as the epidemic has deeply impacted the Johor economy, due to the combined factors of border closure (and loss of Singaporean visitors), local movement restrictions and economic slowdown, as well as unemployment among Malaysians who previously worked in Singapore.

It is expected to feature as a major issue with all the parties in the ongoing Johor elections where polling is set for March 12.

Liew also suggested that Putrajaya allow the purchase of land VTL tickets for those who need to cross the border due to an emergency.

“If there is an emergency such as death or a family member is seriously ill, then one can purchase the VTL ticket,” he said. – February 27, 2022.