SINGAPORE — During the national lockdown in Malaysia, which kicks in after 11.59pm on Tuesday (March 17), foreigners will be able to leave the country at any time, a spokesperson for the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore said. 

He made the clarification on Tuesday in response to a TODAY query, amid confusion among many Singaporeans about whether they would have to stay in Malaysia until the end of the month if they do not leave the country before the lockdown takes effect. 

Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had announced on Monday that as part of a national lockdown to limit the spread of Covid-19, Malaysians will be barred from leaving the country, while foreigners will not be allowed to enter between Wednesday and March 31.

In the hours after his announcement, many Singaporeans who spoke to TODAY said that they assumed they, too, would not be allowed to leave Malaysia if they were still there past midnight on Wednesday. 

However, a Malaysian High Commission spokesperson said: “They can return to Singapore anytime.”

He also noted that the Restriction of Movement Order announced by the Malaysian government does not include any clauses stating that foreigners would not be allowed to leave the country during the lockdown.

SINGAPORE HIGH COMMISSION ANSWERS SOME FAQS

On Tuesday evening, the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur (KL) sought to clear up the confusion around the matter. 

In a list of questions and answers posted in a chat group set up on messaging service Telegram, the High Commission clarified that Singaporeans in Malaysia will be allowed to leave during the lockdown period, but that they should be prepared for "significant travel inconveniences" due to the travel restrictions.

It also noted that Malaysian airports and land checkpoints will continue to operate during the lockdown period.

Before these issues were cleared up, however, confusion reigned.

Singaporean housewife Zafirah Zanudin and her husband rushed to Johor Baru in Malaysia on Monday after her mother-in-law was involved in a car accident. 

While they were in the hospital, news of the impending lockdown broke and Ms Zafirah, 32, began to panic. She had assumed that her mother-in-law would have to stay in Malaysia until the end of the month.

“I don’t know what we would have done. We would have to make arrangements for someone to be with her,” she said of her thought process in the hours after the announcement.

But her mother-in-law only suffered minor injuries and the trio rushed back to Singapore as they did not want to be caught in the lockdown, reaching Woodlands at 2pm on Tuesday.

The uncertainty over the lockdown also affected those with professional engagements across the border.

Mr Akif Halqi, 24, was supposed to travel to KL this coming Friday for the pre-production schedule of a Malaysian movie in which he has been cast. When news of the lockdown broke on Monday, his director asked him to leave Singapore immediately to ensure he would be in Malaysia before March 18.

“Preparations to make my way to KL became a mad rush and I was feeling quite scared. I started imagining the worst possible scenarios happening to me while I am in KL for those two weeks,” the actor said.

“I started thinking that if I were to contract the virus in Malaysia, I’d want to seek treatment in Singapore but that wouldn’t be possible.”

When Mr Akif was told by TODAY that he would be allowed to return home during the lockdown, he had just passed the Malaysian immigration checkpoint and was on his way to KL.

“Anyone would be feeling a lot of pressure to be under such circumstances, but after knowing that I am actually able to return to Singapore at any time gives me such relief,” he said.

He added that his parents are especially relieved knowing that he can return to Singapore in the next two weeks.

“Before knowing that I could return, they prepared for me a sufficient supply of masks and hand sanitisers just to keep me safe.”