SINGAPORE — The flow of goods and cargo, including food supplies, will be allowed between Singapore and Malaysia during the latter’s nationwide lockdown from Wednesday (March 18) to March 31, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. 

Writing on Facebook on Tuesday, Mr Lee said that he had discussed the situation with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin earlier in the day.  

“I told him that I understood the reasons why he had made this move, and wished Malaysia success in containing the outbreak. I was happy to hear his reassurance that the flow of goods and cargo between Singapore and Malaysia, including food supplies, would continue.”

He said that while the movement of cargo would not be affected by the lockdown, Malaysians living in the state of Johor who work in Singapore will have to comply with the restrictions. 

From Wednesday, all Malaysians will be barred from travelling overseas, while foreign tourists and visitors will be banned from entering the country. 

Malaysians returning from overseas must undergo a health inspection and self-quarantine for 14 days.

Mr Lee said that the Singapore Government is working out arrangements with companies to help Malaysian workers stay in Singapore temporarily, if they would like to. 

Singapore and Malaysia have also decided to appoint senior ministers to coordinate responses to the Covid-19 outbreak especially “where the actions of one country will affect the other”, Mr Lee said. 

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean will work with Malaysia’s Defence Minister Sri Ismail Sabri and the two are already in touch, Mr Lee said, but it may take a couple of days for arrangements to be worked out.

Mr Lee also noted that he was “happy” to see that people were taking it in their stride and buying only what they needed despite supermarket queues being longer than usual. 

On Monday night, after Malaysia’s announcement, Singaporeans rushed to supermarkets to buy groceries though at notably smaller quantities than after Singapore raised the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition alert level to Orange.

Mr Lee said: “We need not worry, as we have prepared for such an eventuality and have plans in place to cope. Glad that Singaporeans are calm, united and resilient as we solve the problems at hand.”