Wee: Opening border will help sectors

Transportation, aviation can begin recovery as govt in talks with nations over travel

BATU PAHAT: Malaysia’s opening up of its border will help in the recovery of the public transportation sector and aviation industry, says Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

He said Wisma Putra was in discussions with several countries around the region to allow their citizens to travel to Malaysia.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein recently held a discussion with his Singapore counterpart about the matter.

“It is important for Malaysia and Singapore to have a reciprocal agreement with one another that will ensure citizens from both countries do not have to go through the mandatory 14-day quarantine when they travel to both countries,” he said.

Dr Wee, who is Ayer Hitam MP and MCA president, said this after holding a dialogue with local tourism players in Yong Peng here yesterday.

He also welcomed the government’s decision to allow expatriates to return to Malaysia as this would help the aviation industry as well.

On another matter, Dr Wee said the Transport Ministry would table its amendment on the Road Transport Act pertaining to driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol as well as dangerous driving.

“We will bring the matter up in the coming Cabinet meeting as the government, in particular Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, is very serious in tackling this issue,” he said.

On Friday, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia was in talks with Singapore and Brunei to reopen the borders.

The Defence Minister said the government, in principle, had agreed to give permission to Singaporeans and Bruneians to enter Malaysia without approval from the Immigration Department.

According to Ismail Sabri, the Health Ministry had determined that Singapore and Brunei were green zone countries.

“However, the permission depends on the same flexibility given to Malaysians by the Singapore and Brunei governments, ” he said.