S'pore-M'sia land VTL may expand to all travellers from mid-December
Talks will also start on piloting a sea VTL to allow Singapore cruise ships to call at Malaysian ports: PM Lee
Singapore and Malaysia are aiming to expand the land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme, which began yesterday, to include general travellers from mid-December, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Discussions will also start on piloting a sea VTL to allow Singapore cruise ships to call at Malaysian ports, said PM Lee after meeting his counterpart Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who was here on an official visit.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Datuk Seri Ismail at the Istana yesterday, PM Lee said the leaders agreed to work towards aligning safe cruise standards and start discussions on a possible VTL for travel between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Desaru in Johor.
But these moves would have to take into account the public health situation. "We are all watching anxiously the new Omicron variant to see how it will behave," said PM Lee.
"But even if Omicron disrupts these plans, our goal will still be to have more open borders between Singapore and Malaysia, and I'm quite confident that after some time, we will be able to make further progress."
The new coronavirus strain, dubbed a variant of concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last Friday, led to more countries tightening their borders yesterday.
Mr Ismail, who witnessed the launch of the land VTL at Woodlands Checkpoint with PM Lee, called the scheme "another significant milestone" in cooperation between the two countries.
He said he and PM Lee discussed additional measures that will be taken on cross-border travel between Malaysia and Singapore.
"Both of us have agreed to, one, include all categories of travellers for the VTL land, subject to the health requirements determined by both countries.
"Two, to expand VTL land to include additional bus services routes through the Second Link, trains operated by KTM, and gradually to include personal vehicles such as motorbikes and cars," said Mr Ismail.
The VTL cross-border travel scheme currently allows 1,440 citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders quarantine-free entry into each country on designated buses daily.
PM Lee said the VTL is starting with "modest numbers".
"It will take us some time before we get anywhere near to pre-Covid levels. But we will progress step by step, and get it working first," he added.
The two leaders also discussed the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link project, the Iskandar Malaysia economic development corridor in Johor, and the now-terminated High Speed Rail project.
Earlier, Mr Ismail, who was here on his first official visit as Prime Minister, called on President Halimah Yacob at the Istana. He was presented with a spray of pink-purple orchids named Dendrobium Ismail Sabri Yaakob in his honour.
At the press conference, PM Lee said both countries are close neighbours with a shared history. "Our economies are extensively intertwined. Our peoples share strong bonds of kinship, friendship and memories. So the closing of borders was very tough on both sides."
Dad eagerly awaits arrival of two sons at Woodlands interchange
For 11/2 hours yesterday, technician Tan Kim Weng waited patiently at Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange. His two teenage sons were arriving from Malaysia, on the first day of the land vaccinated travel lane (VTL).
That wait was nothing.
After all, the 50-year-old had not seen his sons, aged 14 and 17, for nearly two years. Both boys are Singaporeans studying in Malaysia.
Mr Tan, who had taken leave to welcome his children at the interchange, said: "Before Covid-19, I used to go back every week to meet them... I've been quite lonely in Singapore without my family."
Last night, the three of them finally sat down for dinner together.
When the bus from Johor Baru pulled in at 1.35pm - nearly three hours behind schedule - the Singapore permanent resident could not hide his excitement. Every few minutes, he would look around for his sons.
His older son Wen Long was elated to see his father again.
"I hope to go cycling with my family while I am here," said the 17-year-old, who has returned to do his national service.
At Queen Street Terminal, where buses by Malaysia bus company Handal Indah arrived from Johor Baru, there was little fanfare, as passengers arrived without family or friends to greet them.
Four people had boarded the first bus from Johor Baru, but only three of them managed to enter Singapore.
Ms Renee Looi, who was on the first bus, told The Straits Times that one man was unable to complete the journey because he was held up at the Johor Baru Customs.
Ms Looi, 29, made the trip to Johor Baru three weeks ago to visit her father before the VTL arrangement kicked in. But she had to first serve a week-long quarantine at a hotel there.
Superintendent Tong Weijie, deputy commander (ground operations) at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, said most of the travellers who arrived were able to clear the automated lanes as they had brought along the necessary documents and submitted the SG Arrival Card in advance.
Travellers to Singapore are required to submit the SG Arrival Card, which contains health declaration information, within three days before arrival.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING: JESSIE LIM
Pofma orders issued to author, opposition party chief over vaccine
Local author Cheah Kit Sun and opposition party chief Goh Meng Seng were issued correction directions under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act for sharing misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines.
Mr Cheah will have to publish a correction notice on his blog post written last month, titled Do Not Participate In A Society That Rejects You, while Mr Goh, founder of the People's Power Party, will have to do the same on his Facebook post in which he shared the article.
The post "has been written to falsely exaggerate the dangers of Covid-19 vaccines, and to discourage people from taking them", said the Health Ministry (MOH) yesterday. "It is important to correct these falsehoods, especially given the ongoing vaccine booster exercise."
Mr Cheah had said Covid-19 vaccines are "the most dangerous ever developed in recent memory". Citing data from the United States Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), he claimed that these vaccines have caused more serious injuries and deaths than all other vaccines combined over the past decade.
FALSE
These claims are false, MOH said, adding Covid-19 vaccines approved for use here have been assessed to be safe and effective by reputable health and scientific agencies worldwide.
As at Oct 31, just 0.006 per cent of vaccine doses have resulted in serious injuries. No deaths have been attributed to vaccination so far.
Covid-19 vaccines were given to a very large proportion of the US population. In comparison, other vaccines were given to "substantially fewer" individuals in any given year preceding the pandemic.
The ministry said it is thus misleading to compare the absolute number of serious injuries and deaths resulting from Covid-19 vaccines and other vaccines.
Surveillance and awareness of adverse event reporting for Covid-19 vaccines has also been much higher than other vaccines. VAERS data is self-reported - meaning any member of the public may make a report to the VAERS system without the need for it to be verified.
"They often lack details and sometimes contain errors. No proof is required that the adverse event or death was caused by the vaccine," MOH pointed out. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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