Singapore - Malaysia Bilateral Meeting On SARS

16 Apr 2003

Health and immigration officials from Singapore and Malaysia met this morning. The meeting was a follow-up to the visit to Singapore by the Malaysian Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng on 1 April 2003. The Singapore delegation led by Mr Moses Lee, Permanent Secretary (Health), and Mr Tan Guong Ching, Permanent Secretary (Home Affairs), comprised officers from the Ministry of Health and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority as well as other officials.

At the meeting, the Singapore and Malaysian officials exchanged information on the current SARS situation in the 2 countries, as well as shared their experience in managing the SARS situation.

The officials discussed and agreed the need for the 2 countries to exchange medical information on SARS in a comprehensive, accurate and timely manner. The areas covered include epidemiological and clinical features, public health measures and infection control practices, and facilitating contact tracing arising from citizens and foreigners from one country being infected in the other. The exchange of information will allow the 2 countries to better understand and prevent transmission of the disease

Besides, the officials also discussed areas of cooperation at the land checkpoints to contain the spread of SARS virus. These include the implementation of Health Declaration Cards for travellers and the introduction of health screening including temperature checks of travellers arriving by land and rail. The meeting agreed to form a working group comprising health, immigration and other officials from both countries to discuss the issue in greater details. The group will meet in Johor Bahru next week.