My time in Singapore is up, a place where I grew up in... but isn't a citizen. I'm heading into Malaysia, a place where I was born but didn't stay long enough to assimilate the local cultural nuances or the Malay national language.
Unwillingly, I left my wife and young toddler son in Singapore at 2 p.m., and headed to the Woodlands Checkpoint, to be processed for my exit out of the Little Red Dot. On any other day, there would be public buses ferrying people across the Causeway bridge from the Woodlands Checkpoint to the Johor Bahru Checkpoint on the Malaysia side. But since both countries have their lockdowns, the CCB (Covid-19 Circuit Breaker in Singapore) and MCO (Movement Control Order in Malaysia), there was an eerie silence in what used to be one of the busiest border crossings in the world.
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| Woodlands Checkpoint - normally it's packed with people |
After I cleared the Singapore immigration at 4:20 p.m., I walked about 1.2km (3/4 mile) while admiring the many new sky-high condominiums and huge mall fronting the Johor Bahru waterfront skyline. There were just 2-3 other folks walking at different sections of the Causeway. A couple of trucks roared passed us as they returned towards Malaysia after unloading their supplies in Singapore.
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| The Johor waterfront skyline, filled with new condos |
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| A wide angle view on the Causeway bridge |
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| Empty trucks returning to Malaysia |
When I arrived at the JB Imigresen checkpoint, they first checked my passport, then my Malaysian IC (Identity Card), before a medical personnel measured my temperature and asked me about my past medical history. Then I was ushered to a waiting area, to wait till a few more people come by, before we were all herded up a coach bus, one person for every two seats, to be brought to our quarantine location.
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| JB Imigresen, with zero traffic. Buses were for quarantine folks |
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| Healthcare worker asking medical and travel histories |
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| Waiting to board the coach bus |
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| Bus driver getting suited up |
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| The Police car escorting our coach bus |
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| Motorcycle Police following the Police car |
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| Flashing cop lights seen from inside the bus |
The bus has a police car escorting us through the traffic. We reached a local government college at 6 p.m. and someone complained, "Oh no, we might be the later group and there are no hotels left. We'll be stuck for two weeks in this school dorm. Wonder if there is Wi-Fi or even air-conditioner in our rooms." We queued shortly in line before we were asked to fill up a form of our personal particulars. After sitting for 30 minutes, we thought we were to be assigned our rooms, but another coach bus came and we were shuttled to our final destination, a decent looking hotel used mostly for business conventions.
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| Waiting in line to fill up some paperwork |
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| Holding area at a local govt college |
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| Waiting for our next move |
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| On the second bus heading to the quarantine location |
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| 4-star business hotel |
This time at 6:45 p.m., we were subjected to another round of temperature taking and medical history questioning, which took about 45 minutes. I looked around and there were people of all backgrounds, but predominantly men, who had most likely come in from Singapore too.
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| Health Alert Card that was given to us |
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| Holding area in front of hotel |
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| Healthcare workers and army guy |
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| Filling up our particulars, with medical and travel histories |
Finally we were given a short briefing of the conditions regarding our quarantine and our hotel card key, before taking the elevator up to our respective rooms at 7:30 p.m. We also got a hotel memo highlighting everything that we cannot do during our quarantine. Then we also had to sign a waiver saying we understanding the conditions and penalties for violating the rules.
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| Checking in... |
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| Beautiful overhanging chandelier |
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| Not your typical Front Desk Reception staff |
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| Hotel memo with rules and conditions |
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| Legal document stating fines and penalties |
As we walked down the hallway, we saw plastic-wrapped chairs outside each room door. This was for the three daily meals to be placed, so that there won't be any human contact. The room was adequate and big enough, and stocked with only soap, toilet paper, trash bags, and 6 satchels of Nescafe coffee, creamer and 2 Lipton teabags. It does look nice, but with a sealed window, we are definitely confined inside our rooms.
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| Plastic-wrapped chairs placed outside each door |
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| For contactless delivery of our meals |
Dinner was finally served at 9 p.m., on our respective "meal chairs". The key thing to remember is we will be given 3 meals daily and never leave the room, as an alarm is triggered when the room door is opened for more than around two minutes.
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| Day 1 Dinner - Rice with Ketchup Fish and Fried Veggies |
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| Together with a daily 1.5 liter mineral water |
I'm quite glad that in all our interactions with the immigration officers, the police, the army, the doctors, the healthcare workers and even the hotel staff, we were treated with at least basic respect. Given that everyone was busy and I'm sure no one ever wanted this Covid-19 pandemic, people were just doing their jobs respectfully. The only thing I kind of wish would have been useful, was if for each transition from one place to another, someone could have told us what to expect or where we were going.
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