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Citizens from both sides of the causeway can finally rejoice since the tides turned on April 1, allowing fully vaccinated travellers to cross the Singapore-Malaysia land border freely.
The buzz at one of the world's busiest borders has been picking up pace in the past two weeks, with many Malaysians finally going home to their loved ones after a long time.
For some, crossing the causeway used to be an everyday affair. They'd brave heavy traffic and long queues to come to Singapore for work or school, and repeat this process when heading home at the end of the day.
They then had to adjust to the new pandemic reality, with many opting to temporarily relocate to Singapore so they could continue to work.
However, do these daily travellers have any reservations now that the borders are open?
I spoke to several Malaysians who were grounded in Singapore to find out more about their thoughts and feelings on the border reopening, and what the daily commute means to them now that it is possible again.
Different hurdles, same borders
Tangam Chonayah with her daughter. Photo by Tangam Chonayah
Tangam Chonayah came to Singapore with her 10-year-old daughter in September 2021 to renew their Singapore PR status with the authorities because they cannot do so online.
It was important for them to do so since her daughter is enrolled in a local primary school located in Woodlands.
Chonayah chose to stay put in Singapore since they have already gone through the mandatory 14 days of quarantine at that time.
In November 2021 the duo went back to Malaysia under the country's Home Quarantine scheme.
However, the temporary closure of the land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) in late December 2021 — because of the Omicron variant surge — meant that they had to stay longer in Malaysia and wait.
They finally managed to come back to Singapore in January 2022 and braced themselves to stay in Singapore for a year. Chonayah explained that as her daughter will be sitting for her Primary School Leaving Examination late this year, it is important for her to be able to concentrate on her studies.
It was tough to find a place to stay, but they eventually found a room at Hotel Metropolitan YMCA Singapore via a Facebook group called Malaysia-Singapore Border Crossers (MSBC), where members exchange tips and guidance for any queries posed about crossing the Singapore-Malaysia border.
Up to 2020, Chonayah was employed in Singapore. However, taking up a job now would mean that there would be no one to attend to her daughter's needs — particularly if there is an emergency.
She was also not comfortable leaving her daughter alone for long periods of time in the hotel room.
Hence, her husband and family — who are living in Johor Bahru — had to fork out huge sums of money to help cover their expenses in Singapore.
Expenses here are at least three times more expensive than in Malaysia.
Just their monthly accommodation costs around S$1,400. The room at Hotel Metropolitan YMCA Singapore is fitted with two single beds, a wardrobe with a safe, an attached toilet, wifi and a mini-fridge:
But with the borders reopening, the cost of living can decrease — giving Chonayah peace of mind.
Her daughter was thrilled upon hearing the news of the border reopening. She misses her family a lot and the thought of seeing them again made her livelier than usual.
She was also looking forward to doing the daily border crossing commute herself; even trying to convince her mother that she would easily learn how to walk across the Causeway to Singapore and back. For her daughter, it felt like things were getting back to normal.
"(I am) really very relieved ... We are not complaining, but we are very happy. As long as we can travel back and forth, then it's okay," elaborated Chonayah.
The feeling of excitement can also be said for Pravin Nair, a Malaysian father who has not seen his two daughters back home for 743 days. What he thought was only two weeks of separation turned into two months, and subsequently two years.
He works as a junior chef at a local restaurant and used to commute daily between Malaysia and Singapore. Like Chonayah, Nair faced a lot of difficulties trying to find accommodation. But through the MSBC Facebook group, he managed to find a room for rent in a condominium for S$550.
"I was having fears that it may be a scam. However, when I went to view the room, I talked to the landlord and honestly, that convinced me that this thing is real ... She was very nice because she understood our situation," explained Nair.
His family was excited to see him when they learnt of the border's full reopening on April 1. Nair decided to surprise his daughters earlier and took the VTL bus ride back to Johor one day before the official reopening.
A surprise comeback was planned by Nair's wife for their daughters, with the family dressing up as characters from the popular Netflix series Squid Game. Nair had to play along and dress up as a masked "guard" from the series.
At first, his daughters thought it was their mother's friend in the suit. But when Nair took off the mask, the girls were positively stunned; their father was back home. The heartwarming moment was captured on video by his wife's friend.
Nair expressed his happiness with the border reopening, saying that commuting daily between Singapore and Malaysia will help him save on rental and food expenses.
While he expressed some worry that the mass crowds crossing the borders might result in greater risks of Covid-19 transmission, his outlook for the future is mostly optimistic.
Pravin Nair and his family. Photo by Pravin Nair
Not all rosy paths
Though many Malaysians are looking forward to resuming their daily commute, there are still concerns about the travel arrangements between both countries.
Chonayah's daughter used to commute every day on a school bus to cross the Causeway for school.
However, the current state of such arrangements is still uncertain since many school bus operators have sold their buses and vans over the last two years.
Photo by Michael Coghlan
"The biggest company in JB was called Superman. They had over 20 vans and so many buses. Now, nothing," Chonayah explained."When I called them, they haven't decided whether they want to come in (to Singapore)."
Chonayah further elaborated that these transport operators might also need to make arrangements and seek approval from the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) to continue providing their cross-border transport services.
Photo by Nigel Chua
Malaysian motorists need to have a valid Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) to enter Singapore with their vehicles.
According to LTA, Malaysian motorists can only apply for the VEP online via LTA's OneMotoring website.
The surge in applications has caused the interim waiting time to increase, from 14 to 49 days as seen in a post on the MSBC Facebook group.
Translation from Malay: Maybe there are those that were forced to wait up to 35 days. From 7 -> 14 -> 21 -> 28 -> 35 days. Please be patient! There are too many applications. 42 -> 49 days. Screenshot from MSBC Facebook group
Ezekiel Xavier — a relative of Chonayah's who was also stuck in Singapore — is one of the motorists affected by the longer-than-usual VEP waiting time.
After the border reopening, he chose to go back to Malaysia by public transport instead of on his motorcycle. This was to avoid the risk of his vehicle not being allowed back into Singapore.
After spending some time with his family, Xavier returned two days later to resume his work as a lift technician.
Though the borders are open, Xavier has decided to remain in Singapore for another month. He explained that the VEP waiting time was the main reason for his decision. Once it is approved, he will resume his daily cross-border commute with his vehicle.
Optimism for the future
Chonayah, Nair, and Xavier are among the many Malaysians who are optimistic about the future, with the border reopening giving them a breath of fresh air.
Each of them had adjusted to living in Singapore in their own way, partly thanks to the support networks that they have been able to tap on.
On the ground, Xavier says he and his Malaysian colleagues are now akin to brothers who look out for each other. Their shared experiences, such as the VEP issue, have bonded them together into a close group of friends.
"Since the past two years, (when) we see each other at the petrol kiosk or the traffic light ... we acknowledge each other (and) ask the same question. 'Oh, you also stuck in Singapore ah?'," explained Nair about the unspoken bond of the Malaysians in Singapore.
Of course, they are no longer "stuck in Singapore", as the possibility of commuting back home to Malaysia at the end of each day marks an important step toward normalcy for them.
With time, issues like the availability of school buses and VEPs will hopefully resolve, allowing a return to the pre-pandemic way of life.
One thing that might stay the same, however, is the bonds formed between Malaysians out of their common challenges.
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Top image via Lionel Lim on flickr. Quotes were edited for clarity and grammar.
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