Some Malaysians sleep near Singapore MRT with no place to stay

CORONAVIRUS | Some Malaysian workers have no choice but to sleep near a Singapore MRT station as they have no place to stay.

Thousands of Malaysians had endured long queues and traffic jams to make their way to Singapore before midnight of March 18 after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a movement control order until the end of the month in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19.

Malaysians cannot get out of the country while foreigners cannot enter.

Armel Sharil was among 20 Malaysian workers who had spent the night near the Kranji MRT Station, Singapore’s TODAY Online reported.

Armel had waited until the gates of the MRT station were shut before he laid cardboard on the floor to sleep.

The 31-year-old warehouse storekeeper said his employer was still finding accommodation for him.

The father of two only had his wallet, a phone with no internet access, a portable charger, a small tub of hair wax and mouthwash with him as he did not have time to pack his belongings before the lockdown.

A check by TODAY on Wednesday with 20 hostels and budget hotels found that most were fully booked until the end of the month, after getting calls from Malaysian workers or their Singapore employers seeking temporary accommodation.

But unfortunately for the workers sleeping near Kranji MRT Station, their employers had not promised them accommodation, they told the news portal.

Most of them work in the cleaning and manufacturing industries, and said that they had no choice but to sleep outdoors.

A worker who identified herself as just Chandra, 49, said: “We have no choice but to sleep here until we find ourselves a place to stay. The other MRT stations don't feel as safe as the Kranji one.” - Mkini