This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on March 18, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Singapore is making arrangements with companies in the island state to help Malaysian workers stay in the republic during the March 18-31 travel restriction period, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

This follows the implementation of the movement control order by Malaysia which starts today.

In his Facebook post yesterday, Lee said Malaysia has also given a reassurance that the flow of goods and cargo between Singapore and Malaysia, including food supplies, would continue during the period.

On Malaysians living in Malaysia but working in Singapore, he noted that they “will have to comply with the Malaysian lockdown”.

“This will prevent them from commuting daily, at least for the time being,” he said.

“We are therefore working out arrangements with our companies to help these Malaysian workers stay in Singapore temporarily if they would like to do so,” the premier added.

Lee stated that Malaysia’s movement control order to contain the Covid-19 outbreak is not surprising as many countries have already imposed similar measures.

“[Malaysia’s] Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and I discussed the situation on the phone today (yesterday),” Lee said.

“I told him that I understood the reasons why he had made this move, and wished Malaysia success in containing the outbreak.

“I was happy to hear his reassurance that the flow of goods and cargo between Singapore and Malaysia, including food supplies, would continue,” he added.

“We also agreed to appoint senior ministers on both sides — [Singapore’s Senior Minister] Teo Chee Hean and [Malaysia’s Defence Minister] Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob — to coordinate our responses to the Covid-19 outbreak, particularly on measures where we can work together, or where the actions of one country will affect the other. “They are already in touch, but it may take a couple of days for arrangements to be worked out and to settle down,” Lee added.

Under the movement control order, Malaysians working in Singapore are banned from commuting between the two countries until March 31, and they are advised to inform their employers in Singapore of the ban.