Muhyiddin hopes M'sia, S'pore finalise SOP on worker movement soon

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin hopes the standard operating procedure (SOP) on movements of workers between Malaysia and Singapore is finalised soon.

The matter was among the issues discussed in a courtesy call by Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia, Vanu Gopala Menon, on the Prime Minister at his office in Putrajaya today.

Muhyiddin said the matter needed to be finalised soon in line with the efforts to improve the country’s economy as well as the problem faced by the workers involved.

“We also stated our commitment to ensure the movement of the people and border control continue smoothly without neglecting the safety aspect of the two countries.

“We are confident the measures would assist Malaysia and Singapore to gradually restore their economies and the interaction of the people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said in a posting on his official Facebook site tonight.

The meeting also touched on the implementation of the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) for cross border movements between Malaysia and Singapore.

“...we share the view that the initiative which was implemented on Aug 17 proceeded smoothly and effectively,” he said.

The Prime Minister said both countries needed to continue strengthening cooperation to prevent, contain and control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Muhyiddin said the meeting among others discussed possible and necessary efforts by Malaysia and Singapore to enhance bilateral cooperation by exploring new fields such as science, technology as well as innovation.

The Prime Minister said the Malaysia-Singapore bilateral relations continues to develop positively despite going through a challenging time during the COVID-19 outbreak and he believed Malaysia and Singapore have the experience, capability as well as expertise to overcome the long term threats of the pandemic.

On the High-Speed Rail (HSR) project, the Prime Minister hoped discussion at ministerial level would be held by the two countries soon.

“For the 10th Annual Leaders’ Retreat (ALR) session which should be hosted by Singapore this year, I have told officers of the two countries to discuss and continue to propose a suitable approach to hold the ALR session or put up other proposals,” he said.

-- BERNAMA