ISKANDAR PUTERI (Sept 7): A special committee set up by the federal government to discuss the reopening of the Malaysia-Singapore border is expected to involve representatives from the state government.

Johor Menteri Besar  Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the reopening of the border is a fundamental component of the state's economic recovery efforts.

The reopening of the border is expected to reinvigorate the retail and tourism sectors as well as revive economic activities in the city and nearby districts of Johor  Bahru.

It will also bring back the growth in the real estate sector, which will definitely be more vibrant, especially when the federal government reviews the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme, he said.

“In relation to this, I really hope that the Johor state government is directly involved in initiatives for the opening of the land routes involving the Johor Causeway and Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (Linkedua).

“State government representatives need to be included in the Joint Committee or Secretariat to carry out very important initiatives for Johor, " the Menteri Besar said during the winding-up session at the 14th Johor State Assembly (DUN) sitting at the Sultan Ismail Building, Kota Iskandar here today. 

Hasni (BN-Benut) said this special committee, among others, would increase comprehensive discussions on the opening of the Johor-Singapore border based on current developments in the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

He added that mutual interests for both countries would also be discussed in the committee including cross-border movements.

“God willing, hopefully, the cross-border movement between Johor-Singapore can be revived with the implementation of the appropriate Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). In a controlled pandemic, we can implement the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) and Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL),” he said. "The possibility of creating a Daily Commuting Arrangement (DCA) or Travel Bubble will also be discussed in this special committee."

He also disclosed that Singapore had donated more than nine million units of medical equipment such as ventilators, face masks, and others to Johor due to the close relationship between both parties.

He added that the republic, through Temasek Foundation and SMRT Corp, has also donated various medical equipment to Johor, all of which have been handed over to the relevant agencies and departments.