JOHOR BARU: Malaysians working in Singapore are hoping to get more information on the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) that is expected to take effect at month’s end.

       Account development executive R. Paveethra said the announcement of the land VTL between Johor and Singapore came as a relief to her.

       “I was delighted to hear the news as I have been looking forward to seeing my family after being away for over 18 months.

       “However, I have to put all my travel plans on hold first as there has not been much information or guidance on how we could proceed to use the travel lane once it takes effect,” she told The Star.

       Paveethra, 25, said a lot of planning would be required for her to travel back home.

       Apart from abiding by the standard operating procedure from the Malaysia and Singapore governments, she would also have to follow additional rules imposed by her company.

       “Knowing the SOP and other necessary procedures early is important as that would make it easier for me to get approval from my company,” she said.

       She added that her other concern was getting guidance from the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore on the process for the land VTL.

       “As this is the first time such an initiative has been introduced, it is natural that we have many questions, and it is important for us to get sufficient assistance from the authorities.

       “My sister’s experience in getting her daughter’s passport renewed was difficult due to the lack of response and delays at the High Commission.

       “I hope that we do not have to go through such problems this time and that the Malaysian authorities in Singapore could be more prepared to assist us,” she said.

       Security officer P. Madanan, 47, echoed Paveethra’s views, saying he hoped the Malaysian government could provide more manpower to facilitate processes at its High Commission office in Singapore.

       “I have yet to personally reach out to the High Commission here but a lot of my friends who did had trouble getting responses on passport matters.

       “It is understandable as the office may be experiencing a high volume of calls and emails every day, but it’s important for us to get a prompt response from them as we have no other channel.

       “I hope the Malaysian government can look into providing a helpline dedicated to VTL matters that we can call to ask questions,” he added.

       Madanan also described the land VTL as the best news he had gotten this year.

       “I could not travel through the air VTL as the price of flight tickets, coupled with the cost of Covid-19 tests, is too high for me.

       “I have been waiting for developments on the land VTL as that is definitely a more viable and affordable option for me,” he said, adding that he last saw his family in April last year.

       Drone pilot Lim Ming Hui, 41, said that he was looking forward to meeting his family again.

       “I plan to go back to Johor for Chinese New Year next year as I missed celebrating the festival with my family this year.

       “I hope that the land VTL can be implemented successfully at the end of this month as that would make it so much easier for me to travel back. However, I am prepared to travel through the air VTL to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) as a last resort if the implementation of the land VTL in Johor is delayed until after Chinese New Year,” he said.

       Technician Nor Azman Juhaidi, 30, said he would only start planning his trip back to Johor once more information was made available on the land VTL.

       “I think there are still a lot of questions about the land VTL and there has yet to be an official announcement from the Singapore government.

       “I will wait until more information is out, especially on the SOP, before deciding on going home as I do not want to get my family’s hopes up,” he said.

       During the state assembly on Sunday, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad said some 1,440 travellers were expected to benefit from the land VTL between Johor and Singapore in the first week of its implementation.

       Hasni had said earlier that the land VTL via the Causeway and Second Link would be opened simultaneously, with the air VTL between Changi Airport and KLIA on Nov 29.