Malaysia Singapore VTL begins today. Bossku in Singapore too.
PM Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Ismail Sabri witnessed the launch of the land vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Singapore and Malaysia at Woodlands Checkpoint on Monday morning (Nov 29).
The two leaders posed for a photo in front of a Transtar Travel bus.
PM Ismail is on his first official visit to Singapore as premier since taking office in August.
Mr Ismail will call on President Halimah Yacob at the Istana. Following that, he will have a meeting with PM Lee during his one-day visit.
PM Lee will host an official lunch for Mr Ismail. The Malaysian premier will also have a new orchid hybrid named in his honour during a ceremony at the Istana.
Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) Between Malaysia and Singapore
There has been much anticipation for the VTL land route between Malaysia and Singapore. The VTL allows up to 1440 quarantine free entry into each country. The VTL is only for citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders.
In Kuala Lumpur, the first VTL flight from Singapore landed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 9.20 am.
Singapore Airlines Flight SQ108, with 240 passengers on board, was greeted with a water cannon salute on arrival.
Covid-19 cases detected in Johor Checkpoint
Malaysian health authorities detected a COVID-19 case at the Johor Causeway on the first day of the Singapore-Malaysia land VTL.
Malaysia’s Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the front line healthcare workers detected the infection through an on-arrival Antigen Rapid Test conducted at the entry point. However, there is no further information on the nationality of the person.
The Johor Bahru District Health Office is doing a risk assessment on those who travelled on the same bus as the positive case.
“Although there is one (positive) case, I do not consider it as something which can derail the VTL. Instead, it should be an example of how pre-departure and on-arrival testing and the like are necessary preventive measures,” Mr Khairy said.
Bossku in Singapore?
Amidst the fanfare and jubilations from the VTL, one Malaysian VIP has quietly graced the shores of Singapore. Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak is to depart for Singapore today. He is visiting his daughter and newly born grandchild. This news comes from sources close to the former premier. However, no official media outlets have picked up this news.
He was to visit Singapore earlier. However, he was held back due to his commitments to assisting BN in the previous Malacca state elections in which BN won a landslide vote. As of this moment, it is unsure how long he will stay in Singapore.
In conclusion, the VTL has been successful despite initial worries.
