SINGAPORE, May 3 — A total of 66 Malaysians, including 50 pregnant women, were safely transported back by bus from Singapore today via the Johor Causeway during the implementations of the Malaysian movement control order and the Circuit Breaker measure in Singapore.

Both controls, to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak in the respective countries, had seen cross-border restrictions take place even though they are separated by only about one kilometre.

There is no public transport across the Johor and Second Link Expressway when these two controls are in force and the only option is to walk for Malaysians who do not have their own vehicles to go back home.

"So, it is absolutely impossible for pregnant women, the elderly and children. We as Malaysians are compelled to perform this good cause,” St John Ambulance of Malaysia secretary, Hoo We Tak told Bernama when contacted.

Hoo, who was not burdened by the effort, said this was a second engagement for him and his colleagues here to assist with the third transportation case, with the first and second being last month. 

"This time it’s better organised. We also supplied them with drinks, cookies and bread. It was feared that upon arrival in Johor, the quarantine process will take some time. In fact, we were even able to provide seats for them while waiting for the bus ride just now,” Hoo said.

Through the co-ordinations of the St John Ambulance organisations in Singapore and Malaysia, Hoo said seven members and an ambulance from the St John Singapore Responder Unit on duty offered aid and accompanied the group.

Meanwhile, Johor’s State Assemblyman for Stulang, Andrew Chen had collaborated with bus company Causeway Link to provide a bus for all the pregnant women.

Also aided by the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore, to date, about 150 pregnant women had been taken home safely.

"To comply with the social distancing requirement, three trips were arranged today with 22 passengers at a time. The first trip began at 10 am, the second at 11.30am and the last at 1pm. They boarded the bus at Kranji MRT,” Hoo said. — Bernama