JOHOR caretaker Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad’s top priority is to reopen the border between the southern state and Singapore if he gets a fresh mandate in the upcoming state elections.

“It will be my top priority and we can ensure the 300,000 Malaysians who used to commute between Johor Baru and Singapore daily can do that again,” said the 62-year-old during an interview with The Malaysian Insight at his official residence in Johor Baru.

“That would be the basis of my focus right after this election if we were to be given the mandate again.”

Johor, particularly the south, has been badly affected by the Covid-19 epidemic from 2020-2021.

According to a May 2021 ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute report, the retail sector in Johor suffered a 70% drop in business in 2020 following the border closure and Covid-19 lockdowns. Hotel occupancy also fell to 27% with as many as 14 hotels closed.

Poverty rate in Johor also doubled from 3.9% in 2019 to 8% in 2020 with hardcore poverty multiplying 10-fold from 0.2% in 2019 to 2.5% in 2020.

And despite the upcoming elections, the shopping complexes and surrounding areas near the Causeway now resemble ghost malls as the weekend Singaporean tourists do not come any more.

And although Malaysia and Singapore have since started the vaccinated travel lane (VTL) last year, the number of daily commuters remains small as it is limited to only 1,440 per day.

“What Johor is asking for is, a daily commuting arrangement. This is just not on the numbers alone but also an understanding on how both countries can agree on opening by sector – construction or services sector, for instance,” said Hasni.

“Perhaps, not 300,000 immediately, as it is not feasible, but we must start with certain sectors. The number definitely cannot be done under VTL.”

After two years of Covid-19, Hasni said the governments must move on to the endemic phase.

“With all the vaccinations in both countries, we should be able to consider it endemic as a way of managing the Covid-19 situation. That is what I will push for,” he said.

“The state is ready in terms of testing facilities and manpower to undertake the necessary checks and manage in total.

“We have the Causeway, the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link and the train facilities between Johor Baru and Singapore. These should be factored in the reopening of Johor-Singapore border.”

Johor-Singapore bubble

Apart from the border closures, Hasni said, the prolonged lockdowns were particularly harsh on Johor.

“When the manufacturing sector was only allowed to operate at 50%, we lost revenue. This is like being hit twice,” he said.

“If I can, I would very much like to have Johor and Singapore in a bubble. If that were to happen, we wouldn’t be so badly hit.”

As such, Hasni said, he will push Putrajaya to work out a plan with Singapore that allows more movement between the two countries.

He said he is also looking forward to restarting the high-speed rail (HSR) project between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

He said whether the project is from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore or even all the way to Bangkok, Thailand, Johor will definitely benefit from it.

“This is because 350km of the alignment is in Johor. If this were to materialise, the surrounding areas along the alignment will surely prosper.”

He said the HSR project will also help Johor folk gain expertise in the rail industry.

“As it is, Universiti Tun Hussein in Batu Pahat has already been recognised to conduct courses in rail technology. That will give Johor folk a chance to excel in the rail industry,” he said.

“HSR is something we look forward to and will continue to push the federal government for it to be a reality.”

The HSR project was first proposed by former prime minister Najib Razak in 2010 and was targeted to be completed in 2026.

But following Barisan Nasional’s defeat in the 2018 general election, the project was officially terminated by the Perikatan Nasional government in 2021.

However, following prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation last year, his successor Ismail Sabri Yaakob has asked for fresh discussions with Singapore on the project. – March 2, 2022.