KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's decision to suspend on its side the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) travel bubble with Singapore was necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19.
SME Association of Malaysia president Datuk Michael Kang Hua Keong said as the number of new cases showed no sign of abating, the move was inevitable.
"Right now the focus should be on controlling the spread of Covid-19," he said.
With the SMEs especially on the Johor side would suffer as a result, he said it was important for the National Security Council (NSC) to start employing a more efficient and effective monitoring system.
"It's already more than one year and we have no clear idea what the National Security Council (NSC) is doing. Solutions are scattered and the standard operating procedures (SOP) are selective and not applicable to all, with lack of effective monitoring and tracking ecosystem, among others."
Kang suggested the NSC to be restructured by bringing in specialists and professionals including from the private sector and the public.
"The NSC doesn't seem to be able to grasp what is happening on the ground. So many people are suffering, especially small traders," he said.
Iskandar Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Johor advisor Md Salikon Sarpin said the move to suspend RGL was not good for the economy.
"However, given the current Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country and cases involving Variant of Concern (VOC) already reported, we had no choice but to take this decision.
"At the moment, imposing strict lockdown measures and adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOP) are the most important things we can do.
"As the number of cases are rising, our healthcare system is overwhelmed, with hospitals are running out of beds at intensive care units (ICUs)," he said when contacted. You can only imagine how exhausted the frontliners are."
Yesterday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement said Malaysia would temporarily suspend on its side the RGL travel bubble with Singapore beginning Thursday (May 13).
As such, Dr Noor Hisham said travellers from Singapore who wish to enter Malaysia for business have to use the One Stop Centre (OSC) set up by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).
He said the special meeting with the NSC last Friday had agreed to list Singapore as one of the countries reporting the spread of VOC; SARS-CoV-2, in the community.
The decision was also based on reports released by the Singapore Health Ministry pertaining to the South African B.1.351 variant, United Kingdom B.1.1.7 variant, Brazilian B.1.1.28 variant, and the Variant of Interest (VOI) from India, namely the B.1.617.1.
Dr Noor Hisham also said travellers entering Malaysia from Singapore and travellers using the Periodic Communicating Arrangement (PCA) facility will have to undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine at the government-gazetted stations beginning May 13.
The RGL enables cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes between both countries.
PCA on the other hand, allows Singapore and Malaysia residents who hold long-term immigration passes for business and work purposes in the other country, to enter for work purposes.