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It's official: People in Singapore will soon be able to drive to Malaysia, and vice versa.

The long-awaited announcement of the news came via a joint statement by both countries' prime ministers on Mar. 24.

Health ministers on both sides of the border were among the Singaporeans and Malaysians who cheered this announcement.

Singapore's health minister Ong Ye Kung has been in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur for an official working visit.

His Malaysian counterpart, health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, posted a celebratory TikTok on Mar. 24, filmed while he was at dinner together with Ong, calling the latter his "good friend".

"Which food is better? Singapore or Malaysian?"

"As you've heard by now, our two Prime Ministers have announced the great news that on the 1st of April, reconnecting once again, Malaysia and Singapore," said Khairy.

Ong thanked Khairy for hosting him over the past two days and said he looked forward to Apr. 1.

"Drive up to JB for our favourite hawker food, and our JB friends can come to Singapore to also taste our food," Ong said.

Khairy then quipped, "And then we can settle the great debate: Which food is better? Singapore or Malaysian?"

Ong gave a quick-witted response by saying: "We are one epidemiological zone, we are also one hawker zone."

Both ministers then broke out into big smiles as Khairy ended the clip.

"One epidemiological zone"

Ong's reply to Khairy brought viewers' attention back to the latest development in border measures and the common food culture shared between Singaporeans and Malaysians.

Epidemiology refers to the branch of medicine dealing with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases — no doubt something Ong and Khairy would have to be familiar with given their health minister roles.

Ong's remark that Singapore and Malaysia are now "one epidemiological zone" likely refers to the fact that travellers crossing the land border will no be longer be subjected to Covid-19 procedures like quarantine or Covid-19 testing.

According to the joint statement on the reopening of the land border, the removal of quarantine and testing requirements will apply for "all categories of travellers and modes of transport via the land border", though some testing requirements remain for travel by air and sea.

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