JOHOR BARU: Johor is seeking the cooperation of Singapore to manage the anticipated horde of Malaysian workers returning from the republic in stages.
This was after the city-state announced a one month lockdown imposition beginning Tuesday.
Mentri Besar Datuk Ir Hasni Mohammad, said there are some 300,000 Malaysians employed in the city-state and some 45,000 still present in the republic are seeking to return home.
He adds that Malaysian workers returning from Singapore even if they are found to be negative for Covid-19, would need to undergo quarantine in their own homes and if they are found to be positive for the infection they would be transported to the quarantine centre in Johor.
“This is where we need the cooperation of our neighbouring country, Singapore, if they can manage the returning Malaysians, if possible, in stages," he said, adding that this was to ensure Malaysia could in turn, manage the quarantine centres.
"If Singapore cooperates to allow our people to come home of between 1,000 or 2,000 people every day then we will be able to manage quarantine centres for those who are positive," he said.
The Menteri Besar said this during an interview session on New Crisis and Threat Management in Johor via the Facebook Live platform with Johorfm.
Hasni said phase two of the Movement Control Order (MCO) was crucial to review the plans and strategies on Covid-19 transmission in the state.
He adds that the situation in Johor is different from other states in the country, due to its close vicinity with Singapore, where many Malaysians worked.
“I believe that when Singapore enforces the lockdown from April 7, we expect more (Malaysian) workers there would want to return home. In fact we were informed that Indonesia is also likely to adopt its own lockdown, so more of our citizens are also likely to return home, from there.
“We have two main land routes - Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB).
"We have four sea lanes still open because we still have Indonesians looking to return home - Pasir Gudang International Harbour, Puteri Harbour International Jetty, Stulang Laut and Kukup," he said.
Hasni adds that the second phase of the MCO would enable the state to manage Malaysians seeking to return apart from those involved under the Enhanced MCO.
"So the extension of this second phase for Johor is something which is (compulsory) due to the increasing number of cases and the huge number of Malaysians who are seeking to return home.
"If the Covid-19 outbreak transmission in the country is broken, we will be faced with the challenge of the high risk group returning from Singapore and Indonesia," he said.