Back to top
ICA's Press Statement In Response to Media Queries on AP Article about Malaysian Man Sent Back at Woodlands Checkpoint
On 20 May 2003, the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH) reported a new probable SARS case involving a 26-year-old Malaysian man. The man was escorted back to Malaysia after he was found to have a fever at the Singapore checkpoint on 18 May 2003.
2 Associated Press quoted Dr Ismail Merican of the Malaysian MOH as saying that by so doing, Singapore has contravened an agreement reached by leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) last month.
3 This is not correct. At the recent Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on SARS, it was agreed that ASEAN Health Ministers and Ministers in charge of Immigration would "work out, bilaterally, a set of protocols for land and sea travel". Dr Merican might have mistakenly referred to the common protocol agreed upon for air travel, where "a citizen or resident of an ASEAN member country arriving at the airport of another ASEAN member country should not be refused entry due to a suspect SARS infection" but instead be allowed "to seek medical treatment within the host country".
4 Bilaterally, the Singapore and Malaysian immigration authorities have, on 21 April 2003, worked out a safe passage protocol to convey sick travelers back to the country of embarkation. This has been in place since 7 May 2003.
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
20 May 2003
2 Associated Press quoted Dr Ismail Merican of the Malaysian MOH as saying that by so doing, Singapore has contravened an agreement reached by leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) last month.
3 This is not correct. At the recent Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on SARS, it was agreed that ASEAN Health Ministers and Ministers in charge of Immigration would "work out, bilaterally, a set of protocols for land and sea travel". Dr Merican might have mistakenly referred to the common protocol agreed upon for air travel, where "a citizen or resident of an ASEAN member country arriving at the airport of another ASEAN member country should not be refused entry due to a suspect SARS infection" but instead be allowed "to seek medical treatment within the host country".
4 Bilaterally, the Singapore and Malaysian immigration authorities have, on 21 April 2003, worked out a safe passage protocol to convey sick travelers back to the country of embarkation. This has been in place since 7 May 2003.
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority
20 May 2003