KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian government on Wednesday (March 30) announced that all vehicles entering the country via the Johor-Singapore land borders will be exempted from toll payments for a week, starting from April 1.
In addition, travel insurance will no longer be required for fully vaccinated short-term visitors who enter Singapore or Malaysia via the land borders from April 1, according to the authorities in both countries.
The toll charge waiver is on top of the one-week road charge exemption announced earlier.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the exemption for travellers at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex in Iskandar Puteri is to ensure smooth traffic following the reopening of the land borders.
"The toll exemption applies to all types of vehicles for seven days, from April 1 to April 7. This is to facilitate cross-border travel with Singapore. This exception is for Malaysians and users who top up or renew Touch 'n Go and SmartTag," Datuk Seri Ismail said in a statement.
Based on a tweet on Wednesday by Malaysia’s Health Ministry, travel insurance for Covid-19 treatment is not needed for fully vaccinated short-term visitors entering the country via the two land checkpoints from April 1.
The same applies to fully vaccinated short-term travellers entering Singapore via land from April 1, according to a statement from Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Currently, travel insurance for Covid-19-related treatment and hospitalisation is required of short-term visitors entering Singapore, with a minimum coverage of $30,000, said the statement.
Malaysia will reopen its border to international visitors from April 1, allowing travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter without quarantine.
Air and sea travellers will be required to undergo pre-departure PCR tests, and antigen tests under professional supervision within 24 hours after arrival.
Fully vaccinated people travelling between Singapore and Malaysia by land do not need to take any Covid-19 test.
At present, visitors can enter Malaysia only via the Singapore and Langkawi travel bubble for the fully vaccinated.
There will also no longer be any cap on the number of daily overland travellers - a major step up from the current arrangement where only about 4,000 people are allowed to travel on designated vaccinated travel lane (VTL) buses daily.
On Monday, Malaysia's Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong also announced that Singapore-registered vehicles entering Johor will not have to pay the RM20 (S$6.45) road charge for seven days, starting from April 1.
He said the move will give motorists the opportunity to top up their Touch 'n Go cards in Johor, or register for Malaysia's Vehicle Entry Permit scheme.
Singaporeans and Singapore residents have not been able to enter Malaysia to top up their Touch 'n Go stored value cards, which are used to pay for the road charge. Others may have cards that have expired.
Malaysia is estimating that at least 42,000 vehicles would enter the country via the Johor Causeway and the Second Link every day.
"The government welcomes the return of Malaysians in Singapore and the arrival of Singaporeans to Malaysia with the reopening of the country's borders," Mr Ismail said.
