Border reopening will be one of several items on the agenda to be discussed when Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart meet in Singapore in early May.

Will ensure that both leaders talk about it

According to Bernama, Malaysia's Foreign Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told the media that he "will make sure" both leaders will talk about the issue, adding that the issue was discussed with Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in his visit to Malaysia in late March.

In a joint statement issued by both foreign ministries, Singapore and Malaysia said they are committed to restoring cross-border travel for other travellers in addition to the Reciprocal Green lane (RGL) and the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA).

They also said they will further deliberate on the operational details regarding the recognition of vaccine certificate between both countries in order to facilitate cross-border travel in the future.

Hishammuddin also assured the public that bilateral relations between both countries were not affected by the absence of the Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore.

He added that the appointment process has not been completed yet, and the foreign ministry is still studying several technical matters.

Before the post was filled by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Radzi Jamaludin in an acting capacity, it was held by Zainol Rahim Zainuddin, who retired in April 2020.

Top image by Andrew Koay