“Some of them [Malaysians] may be afraid to lodge reports as they could have entered the country through unofficial channels,” he said on Saturday during a special Lunar New Year open house gathering for foreign dignitaries and guests at his official residence. “It is better for them to apply directly to the companies or via official channels.”
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Abandoned mall becomes rare space for self-expression in Singapore
Abandoned mall becomes rare space for self-expression in Singapore
He urged Malaysians in need of assistance to contact the High Commission for help.
“So far, Malaysian workers can be described as one of the most disciplined among foreign workers in Singapore,” he said.
‘We have great hopes’: Singapore, Malaysia to develop border economic zone
‘We have great hopes’: Singapore, Malaysia to develop border economic zone
“However, seamless connectivity will be paramount for the success of the SEZ. That is why I always tell the checkpoint agencies in both countries to have talks together and come up with two- to five-year plans on how to handle it,” he said
“If one country becomes too efficient, it will lead to congestion in the other. So it is better for both countries to work together to ensure smooth connectivity without bottlenecks.”
Separately, Azfar said that Singapore had submitted a proposal to acquire two plots of freehold land measuring 0.9 hectares (2.2 acres) for the expansion of the country’s Woodlands checkpoint.
“They submitted a proposal last year to acquire it at the market rate. We have several plots of land in Singapore, which is under the Office of the Federal Commissioner of Lands,” he said.
“We also have similar plots in Holland Village, which is used by the Malaysian Customs Department, while my residence here is under the purview of the Foreign Ministry.
“We have suggested swapping the Woodlands land for other parcels similar to what was done previously with the land around Tanjong Pagar,” he said, adding that they are still awaiting a decision from Putrajaya.
During the Lunar New Year gathering, besides the tossing of yee sang, Azfar promoted local delicacies such as nasi lemak, teh tarik and roti canai as a part of “Malaysian breakfast culture” to his 200 guests.
“Malaysian breakfast culture” has been submitted to Unesco for inclusion in the list of global intangible cultural heritage.
Azfar said a decision to include the three items on the Unesco list will be made in November this year.