KUALA LUMMPUR: Under the travel bubble plan more than 2,000 people will be allowed to travel between Malaysia-Singapore each week from Aug 10, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (pix).
He said after discussions between the two countries, travellers will fall under two categories.
“Under the Reciprocal Green Lane, 400 people will be allowed to travel between the two countries a week for official reasons and important business.
“Some 2,000 people, holders of the long term immigration pass will fall under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement,“ he said during a press conference at Parliament.
Hishammuddin said travellers will have to follow the SOP sets by both governments.
He said both governments will see how the people adhere to the SOPs before deciding on opening up travel to the two other categories.
He said the third category will involve cross border travel involving over 250,000 people daily.
Under the fourth category, open travel between both countries will be allowed.
Hishammuddin said the travel bubble discussion will also involve Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
On Malaysians stuck abroad, the foreign minister said 317 are stuck in 37 countries with 191 being in a critical situation.
“Of the 191, 189 are tabligh members in India and of those 157 are in New Delhi, 23 in Chennai and nine in Mumbai.
“Most of the tabligh members were arrested for misuse of their social visit pass by carrying out religious activities.
“Of those arrested in New Delhi, 125 were freed on July 9 and 10 are undergoing the legal process.
“The government is chartering an aircraft to bring back 136 people on July 17 from India,“ he said.
He added another 52 Tabligh are still under investigation in India.
Hishammuddin said the government has identified 10,159 Malaysians who could be stranded abroad if the Covid-19 pandemic gets worse.
He said more than 9,000 are final year students, with the majority in the United States, Australia and United Kingdom.
He said the government has brought back 23,955 citizens who had been stranded in 82 countries due to Covid-19.
He said the latest were 143 Malaysians who were stuck in Jordan.
