Singapore will continue to work closely with Malaysia to “maintain the integrity and interdependence” of bilateral supply chains amid the recently enforced Movement Control Order (MCO) and state of emergency in Malaysia, said Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing on Wednesday (13 Jan).
Mr Chan was responding to reporters during his visit to chemical company DuPont earlier this morning when he was asked to comment on the impact of Malaysia’s MCO and state of emergency on Singapore’s supply chains.
Following this, the Minister took to his Facebook to share what he had told the media.
Regarding the latest developments in Malaysia, he noted that the Singapore government is in close contact with its Malaysian counterpart regarding the MCO and state of emergency.
Mr Chan asserted that both countries are “working closely together to maintain the integrity and interdependence” of the bilateral supply lines.
“Over the last two days, there have been no disruptions to our supply chains and goods have continued to flow freely between our countries,” the Minister added.
He went on to say that Singapore has to be prepared for potential disruptions to its supplies and supply chains throughout the course of the pandemic.
“Over the last few months in particular, we have seen how quickly new clusters can emerge and spread, resulting in governments around the world having to take tough measures to control the transmission of the virus, sometimes disrupting the supply chains,” Mr Chan explained.
Nonetheless, the Minister stated that Singapore has “continued to build up a healthy stockpile of essential food items” in light of the uncertain global situation.
He added that Singapore has also “strengthened its diversification efforts”, and opened up new supply lines with several other countries.
“Strengthening our supply chain resilience is a never ending job and we will continue to press on with these efforts,” said Mr Chan.
The Minister then called for Singaporeans to “remain vigilant”, as he assured that Singapore’s supply chains are “continually being diversified and strengthened”.
“We are quietly confident but not complacent,” he remarked.
Mr Chan concluded his post saying, “I also thank Singaporeans for staying calm and adaptable amidst the evolving situation which has allowed us to better mitigate potential disruptions and stay resilient.”
