Rushing to beat the deadline

Homesick: Pedestrians hauling their suitcases along the Causeway to return to Malaysia.

JOHOR BARU: Some Malaysians working in Singapore are returning home after the island republic stopped providing temporary housing support at the end of last month.

Many of them were seen hauling their suitcases along the Causeway to return to the country to beat the Malaysian deadline yesterday for compulsory isolation for returnees at one of the 400-plus designated quarantine centres.

Eddie Manoah, 25, who works as an assistant chemist in Singapore, said he decided to remain in the island republic compared to other Malaysians who returned after failing to secure accommodation there.

“A lot of companies are kind enough to provide accommodation for us, but some are also finding it difficult to cope, especially with the extended MCO (from April 1 to 14).

“As such, we have no choice... either return home and take unpaid leave or fork out extra money to get our own accommodation in Singapore, ” he said.

Manoah said while his company was able to subsidise his accommodation for another two weeks, he would need to look for options if the MCO was extended beyond April 14.

Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen said the majority of those crossing the Causeway yesterday were Malaysians who wanted to return home before the deadline.

“If they come back after April 2, they will have to stay at one of the government quarantine centres, while those coming back by April 2 or earlier are allowed to self-quarantine if they pass the temperature checks at the checkpoints and have no symptoms.

“Many opted for the latter and rushed back today (yesterday), ” he said.

He added that the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore had also provided two buses to ferry Malaysians who wanted to return home.

“The buses are specifically for the elderly, children and the pregnant.

“The group started contacting the High Commission since last week, and the bus brought them home this morning (yesterday), ” he said.

It was reported in the Singapore media that the republic would not extend the accommodation support programme, which provided S$50 (RM151) a day per worker to offset employers’ costs for the initial two-week MCO.

There are 12 quarantine centres in Johor. - Star