This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 23, 2020 - March 29, 2020

THERE was a story in The Star recently about Singaporean employers who were willing to provide accommodation for their Malaysian employees when the Malaysian government was about to impose the Movement Control Order to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

The order, which restricts the movement of people throughout the country, meant that some 300,000 Malaysians who commute daily from Johor Baru to work in Singapore would be affected. Their daily routine is to leave JB every morning, work in Singapore and return in the evening after they finish work.

Needless to say, closing the Causeway or the Tuas Second Link and preventing them from travelling to Singapore is a big concern and a depressing problem. We know very well they cannot afford not to work. And they cannot afford to stay in Singapore either.

The MCO dealt a heavy blow to this group of Malaysian workers. Their cries of despair went unheeded. There was no response from the government. It seemed like there was no way out.

Then,  The Star reported that Singaporean employers would help find accommodation for them in the city state during the MCO period from March 18 to 31. That meant they could continue to work.

That is good news. True, there are Malaysian workers who have to sleep at the Kranji MRT station, as they have not found places to stay in Singapore. But quite a substantial number apparently have found accommodation, owing largely to the help of their Singaporean employers. It is true that the employers acted because they need their workers or they would have to cease operations. But the workers needed to continue working as well. A win-win situation, I would say. Not perfect, but a welcome gesture all the same.

I shared the story on my Facebook account. I commented that when the government decided to impose the travel ban, it did not provide a solution to our workers’ woes.

And I thanked God that the Singaporean employers had come up with a much-needed solution. I was later told by Facebook that my post “goes against our community standards”. Never mind that. All is good now and my post is still up. But that is not the story. And obviously “our people” are not happy with my comments. That is not the story either.

The story is this: Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohamad is now saying he hopes to reopen the border with Singapore soon — that would mean before March 31.

According to Hasni, this would be done with more stringent health checks on both sides of the border. He calls it “a mitigation plan during this Covid-19 outbreak”.

Among the categories that would be exempted are “those with work passes issued by Malaysia or Singapore, students studying in Singapore, those with special skills, businessmen, those involved in logistics and others that would be announced soon”. That about includes everybody who travels to Singapore regularly, except tourists, who are not travelling anyway.

The MB must have his reasons for wanting all that, although there are people opposing it, such as Johor Baru MP Akmal Nasir. They must have their reasons too.

The question is, is this an afterthought? The federal government is saying one thing (close the border) while the state government is saying another (reopen the border). Both are from the Perikatan Nasional coalition. The MB attends all high-level meetings with the federal leadership during these troubling times. Can’t they discuss it and come up with a clear decision? Or are they not talking to each other?

As for the federal government, did the foreign affairs minister discuss the closing of the border with his Singaporean counterpart before Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the travel ban? After all, Singapore, too, has a big interest in this. And, for that matter, what about Thailand’s foreign minister, considering that the Malaysian–Thai border is also affected?

That apart, we are seeing many contrasting measures and actions. The interstate travel restrictions are causing havoc and the confusion over whether students should go home or stay put is causing heartaches for them and their parents.

Granted, the Muhyiddin administration is being tested to the hilt and doing its best. But some of the announcements by his Cabinet have resulted in more questions than answers.

It gives the impression that plans are not thoroughly thought out before announcements are made. There seems to be a lack of communication about what is announced and how it will be implemented. That is no fault of the various agencies, though. It is the policymakers who need to get their act together. The right hand must know what the left hand is doing.

But I will conclude by expressing our deepest appreciation to all our front liners who are the unsung heroes of the nation at this time of crisis. Our prayers are with you. Thank you and may God protect and bless you all. — By Mohsin Abdullah

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