MM2H holders may return if certified to be free of Covid-19, says Ismail Sabri

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said that Singapore must issue a certificate for its citizens who wish to travel to Malaysia to show that they have no symptoms of Covid-19 and are fit to travel.

Commenting on an incident that took place on June 25 when a Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) dependent was turned away at the Johor Causeway as he had not undergone a test for Covid-19, Ismail said it was an existing requirement for a person entering the country from Singapore to already have gone through Covid-19 screening.

“Yes, we allow Singaporean citizens involved in MM2H to enter. We have already said they will not be quarantined as long as they are negative and have no symptoms of Covid-19.

“Even the quarantine centre in Johor is already closed, there are no more quarantine centres. However, when entering Malaysia, they must have a certificate that shows they are Covid-19 free and have no symptoms. They must show us a ‘fit to travel’ certificate. Singapore must issue such a certificate to its citizens,” he said during a press conference today.

Ismail said this has been the condition that was set previously.

“Maybe we will review this condition but for now this is the rule, the review will depend on the discussion between both countries’ foreign ministries. We can loosen some regulations but they must also do the same. We have 215,000 Malaysian workers waiting for Singapore to loosen the rules,” he said.

Ismail added that the move to loosen entry rules for Singaporeans must be reciprocated.

“It must be two ways, we need to ensure both countries benefit from each other, hopefully this will be resolved soon and both citizens can enter each other’s country without much restriction,” he added.

Last week, online news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported that MM2H dependent Muhammad Shafqat Ali, 17, was forced to walk back to Singapore after Malaysian immigration officers denied him entry as he had not undergone a test for Covid-19.

An e-mail sent by the MM2H Centre in Putrajaya to Muhammad, which was sighted by FMT, said he could “return to Malaysia and undertake the swab test upon arrival at the entry point”.

However, he was unable to get tested for Covid-19 in Singapore as the country does not conduct tests for those who show no symptoms.