JOHOR BAHRU: Singapore's move to offer the COVID-19 vaccination to selected Malaysian cargo drivers and accompanying personnel who enter the country on a regular basis can help minimise the risk of infection and speed up the process of entering the republic.

Commending the move, Johor Lorry Operator Association chairman Novan Hing said it was a forward-thinking approach by the Singapor government in facing the pandemic.

"It is a welcome initiative that has brought relief to lorry drivers, but we still do not know yet how the process of getting the vaccine.

"Although not all Malaysian lorry drivers will receive the vaccine, we hope that through this move, the number of lorry drivers who are required to undergo the mandatory swab test will be reduced," he told Bernama here today.

On Monday (March 8), the Singapore Ministry of Health, in a statement announced that the COVID-19 vaccination will be offered later this month to selected cargo drivers and accompanying personnel who enter Singapore from Malaysia on a regular basis.

Those who are eligible for vaccination will be notified via a personalised Short Message Service (SMS) from the republic's Ministry of Trade and Industry and will be contacted subsequently for an appointment to undergo vaccination at designated sites in Singapore.

Lorry driver S. Sugunthan said the move would increase the confidence of lorry drivers who are always concerned about their health and safety.

"The move can also help ease traffic congestion," said the 27-year-old man who has been working as a lorry driver for five years.

Sugunthan who transports electronic devices to Singapore also expressed hope that he would be among the lucky drivers selected to receive the vaccine.

Another lorry driver, M. Sarawana said that the move would speed up the clearance process when entering Singapore.

"When you get the vaccine, it will ease the travel process between the two countries and hopefully we will no longer need to take a swab test every time we enter Singapore," said Sarawana, who has been doing the job for 20 years.

-- BERNAMA