Malaysia seeing daily return of some 200 nationals affected by Singapore's coronavirus circuit breaker

PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Only 200 Malaysians are recorded to have entered the country via Singapore daily, said Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said they are those who are working in the Republic but are returning home as their work is affected by restrictions imposed by Singapore to curtail the spread of Covid-19.

"The figure does not show a surge in the number of returnees from Singapore," he said.

They exclude the 1,900 to 2,000 people who work in the logistics sector entering the country daily via the Causeway and the Second Link.

"These are people who transport goods from Malaysia to Singapore, including fresh produce. There are still many Malaysians who are working in Singapore as they are employed in essential services which are not affected by the restricted movement," he said on Tuesday (April 14).

Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said Malaysians who are employed in the Republic will be screened and will have to undergo compulsory quarantine.

He said the Human Resources Ministry has discussed with its counterpart from Singapore to allow Malaysian workers there to return in stages.

"If there are 20,000 Malaysians who want to return, we have asked Singapore to release them in stages of 200 to 300 people a day.

"This is to ensure we are able to manage the crowd and to handle logistics such as screening and accommodation for quarantine," he said.

On April 3, Singapore had announced the closure of most workplaces and that all schools would move to home-based learning.

Except for key economic sectors and essential services, all other work premises would close for a month.