Restoring an invaluable land connection

The coronavirus pandemic struck a nasty blow at something that used to be taken for granted in relations between Singapore and Malaysia: unhindered travel between the two neighbours, not least by land across the Causeway and the Second Link. Before the onset of the pandemic, some 415,000 people crossed the Woodlands Causeway and the Tuas Second Link every day. That number shrank significantly as Covid-19 resulted in severe restrictions that saw crossings at these crucial interchanges slow down to a trickle. Although curbs were eased as the health situation improved, requirements for travel remained onerous. That disruption came to an end with last week's announcement that those who are fully vaccinated will be able to travel freely between Singapore and Malaysia by land from April 1, including in private vehicles, without the need for testing or quarantine. There will also no longer be any cap on the number of daily overland travellers. This is a major step up from the current arrangement, where only about 4,000 people are allowed to travel on designated vaccinated travel lane buses daily.

An upbeat mood was discernible in the joint press statement issued by the leaders of the two countries. Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob noted that as the country reopens its borders to international travellers on April 1, it would achieve another significant milestone in facilitating cross-border travel with its immediate neighbour. His comments reflected the longstanding and multifaceted relations between the two countries. The reopening will be welcome for the effects it will have on bolstering social interaction and economic activity on both sides. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong observed that the reopening was a significant milestone in Singapore's transition towards living with Covid-19. Indeed, the reopening of the land border is a testament to the strong collaboration between both sides during the pandemic and will now help them emerge stronger. The announcement has already been greeted warmly by those with families on either side, by Malaysian workers who were accustomed to transiting every day between their homes and places of work here, by businesses which have operations on both sides, and tourists for whom their time in Singapore was incomplete without a trip to Malaysia. People-to-people ties have defined key aspects of relations between the two nations. Covid-19 unfortunately impacted those links, not because anyone wanted it, but because each country had to protect the safety and well-being of its citizens. Although the virus remains active and can evolve quickly, both sides are confident of moving forward. That also underlines just how significant the land border is regarded as an economic and social lifeline and connection between two longstanding neighbours.