PUTRAJAYA — Malaysians working in Singapore who do not wish to use the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) scheme must instead do so in another manner, said the country’s senior minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said returning Malaysians not using the PCA can instead head to customs, immigration and quarantine complexes in the Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor Baru or the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex in Iskandar Puteri where they must undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine.

“As announced before, Malaysians coming from Singapore have never been prohibited from entering the country.

“There are several application categories for entering and exiting Malaysia during the ongoing recovery movement control order, which can be applied for via the MyTravelPass on the Immigration Department’s website at www.imi.gov.my,” Mr Ismail said during his press briefing.

The PCA is a scheme agreed between Singapore and Malaysia to allow work and business-related travel between the two countries via the land border crossings at the Johor-Singapore Causeway and Malaysia-Singapore Second Link.

Under the scheme, Malaysians and permanent residents with valid Singapore work passes should remain in Singapore for at least 90 days before returning to Malaysia for home leave.

Separately the minister said the existing standard operating procedures (SOP) for prisons have been tightened to curb the spread of Covid-19, following its tabling by the Prisons Department director during the National Security Council meetings.

“With instances of cases emerging among new prisoners entering a facility, the SOPs now mandate that any new prisoner must be first placed in a transit centre for 14 days to undergo quarantine.

“Once they have been found negative, they are sent to the prison where they will be placed in another special location for five days, after which they are permitted to enter the general population,” he said.

Doing so will ensure that only individuals who are free of Covid-19 remain within the prison. Mr Ismail added that existing prisoners will undergo regular screening by the health ministry, with any positive cases to be sent immediately for treatment in hospitals.

“In the event a prisoner must be brought to court for an extension of their remand order, the Attorney-General has decided such cases can be conducted via video conferencing instead of physical attendance, so as to avoid the spread of Covid-19 to officers and others present.

“Even the procedure of transferring inmates from one prison to another is subject to tight SOPs and thorough screening. If need be, an enhanced movement control order can also be declared for specific prisons, should the infection rate rise considerably,” he said. MALAY MAIL