SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia will launch a vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Nov 29.
This was announced in a joint statement by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Ismail Sabri Yaakob after both leaders spoke on the phone on Monday (Nov 8).
“The Prime Ministers recognised that COVID-19 has disrupted people to people connections between the two countries, and separated families for many months,” read the statement.
“Given the significant progress that both countries have made in vaccinating their respective populations and managing the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Ministers agreed that it is timely to progressively resume cross-border travel between both countries, in a safe manner.”
This is Malaysia’s first VTL.
The VTL will start with six designated services between Changi Airport and KLIA a day, said Transport Minister S Iswaran at a multi-ministry task force press conference.
Vaccinated Travel Pass applications for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will open on Nov 22. Returning Singaporeans and permanent residents will not need to apply.
Under the VTL, fully vaccinated travellers will be able to travel between Singapore and Malaysia and be subjected to COVID-19 tests in lieu of serving quarantine or stay-home notice.
The statement added that both leaders also looked forward to restoring travel across the land links “between both countries in the near future”.
“They were happy to note the good progress in ongoing detailed discussions on a similar vaccinated travel scheme, to reopen travel across the Causeway and the Second Link, taking into account the public health situations in Johor and Singapore,” it read.
Mr Lee noted that the VTL will help to revive both countries’ economies, restore people-to-people ties and strengthen the bilateral relationship.
“I am very happy that both our countries are finally able to restart cross-border travel through the VTLs,” he said.
Mr Ismail Sabri described the VTL as “another important milestone” in the longstanding cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore.
“The VTLs will allow travel as our two countries gradually reopen our borders responsibly by balancing the need to recover our economies while ensuring safety and health of our peoples from COVID-19,” he added.
Mr Ismail Sabri said he looked forward to the effective implementation of the VTL, which adds to the schemes previously developed to facilitate the movement of people and goods between the two countries.
Singapore and Malaysia currently have in place safe travel arrangements through the Periodic Commuting Arrangement. The Reciprocal Green Lane scheme between the countries is presently suspended.
Mr Iswaran also announced that Singapore will extend VTLs to Finland and Sweden from Nov 29.
Singapore will increase its daily quota for the VTL scheme from 4,000 travellers to 6,000 travellers from that date, he said.
