No Travelling To Singapore For Malaysians Working Or Studying Here
Last night, Malaysian PM Muhyiddin announced that the country will be going into lockdown for 2 weeks from 18 Mar and citizens will not be allowed to leave.
M’sia On Lockdown From 18-31 Mar, No Citizen Leaves & No Foreigner In
Since then, there has been a fair bit of ambiguity about the fate of workers who commute daily across the Causeway to work in Singapore.
On Tuesday (17 Mar) afternoon, Malaysian immigration chief Khairul Dzaimee Daud confirmed that there will be no special concession granted to these workers.
No travelling for Malaysians from 18 Mar, 11.59pm
In the brief announcement, Mr Khairul said that the restriction will also apply to Malaysians working in both Singapore and Thailand,
Not allowed from tomorrow until March 31.
This will also apply to the students who make the commute south for their studies.
Earlier on, State Assemblyman for Stulang, Johor Bahru – Mr Andrew Chen Kah Eng – shared on Facebook that the restriction will apply to “all Malaysians leaving the country regardless of their purpose“.
He shared the statement after apparently speaking to Johor Immigration director Baharuddin Tahir.
400,000 Malaysians affected by restriction order
Another report by The Straits Times indicates that 400,000 Malaysians will be affected by the restriction.
They will have till tomorrow (18 Mar) to decide whether to stay in Singapore, or return to Malaysia for 2 weeks.
According to TODAY Online, Malaysians who work in Singapore scrambled to find accommodation in Singapore for the next 2 weeks while others struggled to make alternative work arrangements.
Malaysians rush to find housing in Singapore for the next 2 weeks
Source
Malaysians who spoke to TODAY Online at Woodlands Checkpoint shared worries over jumps in rental prices from the sudden surge in demand for housing.
Others rushed to find accommodation with their friends, families and colleagues here in Singapore.
Hope companies will be able to find accommodation for their workers
Now that the restriction has been confirmed, we hope Singapore companies will be able to find accommodation for their staff who commute daily across the Causeway ASAP before 11.59pm today.
The restriction on people moving in and out of Malaysia might bring about a huge deal of inconvenience, but this is one way of slowing the virus from spreading.
Let’s hope it turns out effective in doing so.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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