KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — The closed borders between Malaysia and Singapore as part of measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic has affected renovation and security companies in Singapore which hired Malaysian employees as there are manpower shortages, a report has said.

The republic’s daily The Straits Times (ST) cited the Singapore Renovation Contractors and Material Suppliers Association as saying that 80 per cent of such workers — including painters, electricians and carpenters — are Malaysians, with many still unable to return to Singapore for work.

Carpenters Design Group chief creative consultant Alloyious Koh, reportedly said that the lack of skilled workers has resulted in renovation costs going up with renovation projects in Singapore being delayed.

ST reported that Koh had over the last three months sought for entry permits for his Malaysian staff who had in the past travelled daily to Singapore for work, but had only obtained approval for one application last week.

ST also reported the head of a security company Gary Haris as having applied for entry permits for his 30 Malaysian staff, and getting approval last week for three of them to enter Singapore.

While noting that the company will have to pay about S$2,200 (RM6,745) for the compulsory Covid-19 tests and their stay at dedicated stay-at-home facilities, he said the company was willing to pay as many of the Malaysian staff had waited for their entry approval and did not quit the firm.

"We might think twice about employing Malaysians from now on,” he was quoted saying by the ST, after noting the potential higher cost to employ Malaysians with companies having to find accommodation for their staff who will not be able to travel daily between the two countries.

The ST also cited anecdotes of Malaysians’ conditions on either side of the border, such as a Malaysian carpenter who is considering to move to Singapore to work as he has been without income while in Malaysia over the last three months after being unable to make work trips several times a week to Singapore.

As for another Malaysian who works in a Singapore aviation firm, the ST reported that he has no choice but to remain in Singapore as his priority is keeping his job, even as his monthly stay at a Singapore hostel instead of going home daily to Johor Bahru and pay cuts have hurt his savings.

On July 14, the foreign ministers of Malaysia and Singapore jointly announced that both countries will be reopening their borders to each other by August 10, via the introduction of the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) for essential business and official purposes, and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) for residents for business and work passes. Both countries had closed their borders in March.

Among other things, both countries have agreed to publish the requirements, health protocols, and application process involved for entry and exit into Malaysia and Singapore, 10 days prior to their implementation of the RGL and PCA.

Today, the ST reported Malaysian Association in Singapore president Aarathi Arumugam as saying that the planned schemes to reopen the Malaysia-Singapore border does not seem like it will apply to those looking to commute daily between the two countries, as the green lane scheme is aimed at essential business and official travels.

She noted that the closed borders have hit Malaysians in the lower-income group the most as they have had to spend extra to stay in Singapore to retain their jobs with the daily commute home no longer an option. 

Noting that it would be ideal for such Malaysian workers to be able to travel to and from Malaysian and Singapore every day, she reportedly said that this is not the current discussion by the authorities as the focus now is on avoiding a new wave of Covid-19 cases.

While the association has helped out with the accommodation costs for around 70 Malaysians in Singapore, the ST said some of them have left their jobs to return home to Malaysia where the living cost is lower.