SINGAPORE — Both Malaysia and Singapore are using blockchain technology to issue Covid-19 vaccine certificates, and the interoperability between the two systems will be “crucial”, Malaysia’s Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Tuesday (March 23).

He made the statement in a Facebook Post, which detailed his meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, who was making an official visit to Malaysia. 

Blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system.

Last month, Singapore’s Smart Nation and Digital Government Office announced details of how blockchain would be used to produce tamper-proof certifications for Covid-19 vaccination.

Both countries' foreign affairs ministries on Tuesday announced that they work towards recognising Covid-19 vaccine certificates so as to progressively restore cross-border travel. 

“Among things discussed were the national immunisation plans from both countries and an exchange of best practices,” said Mr Khairy. 

He added that interoperability between the blockchain systems being used by the two countries for Covid-19 vaccination certificates will be crucial, especially taking into account standards set by the World Health Organization, the International Air Transport Association and other countries.

“Malaysia and Singapore are both committed to becoming a working model of post-pandemic recovery,” he said.  

Dr Balakishnan made a visit to Malaysia from Tuesday to Wednesday, where he also met Malaysian Senior Minister and Minister of Defence Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein. 

TODAY has sought comment from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Mr Khairy’s comments.