Malaysia looking to fully reopen border with Singapore next January: report

MALAYSIA'S health ministry is looking to fully reopen the border between Singapore and Malaysia for daily commuters in January 2021, Malaysian media outlet The Star reported on Friday.

In considering the decision, the ministry is taking into account the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on people's livelihoods, Health Minister Adham Baba said.

"We must find a balance as both the economy and health are very important matters," Dr Adham said.

He noted that working towards this goal will require a more systematic approach in areas such as border control, physical distancing and use of personal protective equipment. This will be done over the course of the country's recovery movement control order (MCO), which has been extended to the end of this year.

Dr Adham added that the ministry is also looking to double its swab-test capacity for travellers under the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) schemes.

Johor Chief Minister Hasni Mohammad was quoted by The Star as saying that the state government wants Putrajaya to allow daily commuting across the border as soon as possible.

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Mr Hasni told the Johor Assembly on Thursday that the state could conduct more than 2,000 Covid-19 tests daily for travellers under the RGL and PCA schemes. As at Aug 31, the number of travellers to and from Singapore totalled 320 under the RGL, and 8,270 under the PCA.