Malaysia lockdown: About 10,000 Malaysian workers matched with temporary housing, says Josephine Teo

SINGAPORE — About 10,000 Malaysian workers who have chosen to stay in Singapore since Malaysia announced a lockdown on Monday have been matched to temporary accommodations here, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said on Tuesday (March 17) evening.

Mrs Teo, who was speaking at a press briefing by the Covid-19 ministerial taskforce, added that as temporary move, the Singapore Government will be providing S$50 for each worker a day — capped at 14 days — to support employers which may have to incur extra costs due to the new measures imposed by Malaysia.

“Employers mostly can find the accommodation (for their Malaysian workers) on their own… and by and large, we have enough capacity to help them, so I’m confident that all their needs will be met,” she said.

From left: National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo speaking at a press conference on March 17, 2020. Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY

Separately, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong reiterated that there was no added risk of the virus spreading if droves of Malaysians arrive in Singapore ahead of the 11.59pm Tuesday deadline to avoid the lockdown.

This is because the individuals who are coming over are those who commute across the border day in and day out, and “these are not new people coming”, he pointed out.

He added that the priority now for the Singapore authorities is to ensure that there is enough accommodation for these workers.