JOHOR BARU: From April 1 onwards, fully vaccinated travellers moving between Malaysia and Singapore via land travel will no longer need to undergo quarantine or testing – neither pre-departure nor on-arrival tests.
The new ruling will apply to all categories of travellers and modes of transport via the land border.
This was agreed by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong via a phone call yesterday.
In a joint statement later, both prime ministers said they recognised the good progress that the two countries had made in vaccinating their populations and managing the Covid-19 pandemic, and noted the progress made in resuming cross-border travel through the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) via air and land.
As Singapore and Malaysia transition to living with Covid-19, both Ismail Sabri and Lee agreed that it was timely to further reopen the land border.
Ismail Sabri said as Malaysia reopened its borders to international travellers starting April 1, this was another significant milestone in facilitating cross-border travel with its immediate neighbour, Singapore.
“This announcement reflects the long-standing relations and multifaceted cooperation as well as strong people-to-people ties between the two countries.
“This will certainly contribute to recovery efforts, with positive impacts on the economies and livelihood of the peoples of both countries,” he added.
Lee said the announcement was a significant milestone in their transition towards living with Covid-19.
“It reflects the strong collaboration both sides have enjoyed throughout the pandemic and will help both countries emerge stronger from this crisis,” he added.
Malaysians and Singaporeans are rejoicing that they can travel between both countries via the Causeway and Second Link freely.
Chua Wen Fa, 33, who works in Singapore, said he was looking forward to reuniting with his family here after being separated for more than two years.
He said he could not return to Malaysia via the VTL initiative previously due to several obstacles, including a delay in renewing his passport in the island-republic.
“The reopening of the borders is very good news for those like me who have not been able to return home during the pandemic,” he added.
Freelance set designer Cheryl Lee, 30, is also planning to drive across the border soon, saying she enjoys visiting the republic to get inspiration for her job.
Before the pandemic, she entered Singapore via the Causeway bi-weekly to meet up with friends and cousins who are living there.
Singaporean Fahmi Rahaman, 36, said he would walk along the Causeway to get into Johor on April 1 if there was massive congestion at the land border checkpoint as he missed the Pantai Lido air.
“I grew up in Bandar Baru Uda and I have not seen my parents for more than two years. This is such great news – with fasting month around the corner, I can see my family again,” he added.