PETALING JAYA: The sale of airline and bus tickets under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme between Malaysia and Singapore has resumed to full capacity with immediate effect, says the Transport Minister.

       “Based on current risk evaluations and with approval from the Malaysian Health Ministry, the Transport Ministry wishes to announce that the sale of bus and airline tickets under the VTL between Malaysia and Singapore will be fully resumed with 100% seating capacity for both land and air travel, with immediate effect,” Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said in a statement yesterday.

       He said the sale of air tickets under VTL would allow travel between both countries to resume immediately, while the sale of bus tickets will be for travel from Feb 22.

       Dr Wee said the VTL initiative has led to more international travel, and this has helped boost the tourism sector and the national economy. “As of Feb 14, a total of 171,583 travellers from Singapore have benefited from this initiative for both air and land travel options.

       “We hope that the VTL will benefit the people and revitalise the economies of both nations,” he added.

       Dr Wee said Malaysia and Singapore are currently in advanced discussions on expanding the VTL by air to Penang and Kota Kinabalu.

       “We look forward to launching these services soon. In this regard, the ministry together with Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd is in the midst of preparing the necessary Covid-19 screening facilities and other related facilities to make these new VTL initiatives a success,” he said.

       The VTL programme was suspended between Dec 23 last year and Jan 20 this year due to a rise in the Covid-19 Omicron variant cases globally.

       The programme was resumed on Jan 21 this year but with a 50% reduction in flight and bus capacity quota.

       Meanwhile, MCA vice-president Datuk Tan Teik Cheng said expanding the VTL from Singapore or Medan, Indonesia, to Penang would help in post-pandemic recovery efforts.

       “With countries around the world easing restrictions and resuming economic activities, we must seize this golden opportunity to resume ties with others.

       “Linking Singapore and Penang via the VTL initiative will surely help the state’s economic recovery, especially the tourism sector,” he said, in thanking Dr Wee for providing Penang with a promising path to post-pandemic recovery.