by BERNAMA 

Malaysia will obtain the list of its citizens in Singapore who want to return home, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.

He said the list is needed to help the government prepare for the mass return of Malaysians while curbing the spread of COVID-19 via imported cases.

“We asked the Human Resources Ministry to discuss with its Singaporean counterpart to obtain the list.

“Those who want to return would have to inform their employers,” he said in a daily news conference on the Movement Control Order (MCO) here today.

Ismail Sabri said they may also have to return home in stages to avoid overwhelming authorities conducting health checks.

“My advice is, they should remain in Singapore as its government has guaranteed that they would be allowed to continue working in the republic, and in our initial agreement Singapore agreed to provide accommodations and daily allowance, among others,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said 97 per cent of the residents at the Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion on Jalan Masjid India, which are currently under the Enhanced MCO (EMCO), are foreigners.

He said the Foreign Ministry had notified respective foreign embassies to assist their nationals residing in the two premises.

“However, the residents can ask operations centres that we have established in the area to help them buy food. The food will be delivered to a specific booth and they will have to pay for the food themselves,” he said.

Yesterday, the government announced that the two residential buildings to be placed under the EMCO following 15 positive cases of COVID-19 in the buildings.

The EMCO which involves residents in 365 residential units and business premises will be enforced until unit-to-unit case detection is completed.