JOHOR BARU: For Bali Anak Jalang, his return home after being stranded in Singapore for about a year will be doubly sweet.
Not only will he be reunited with his family, he will also be meeting his five-month-old daughter for the first time.
"My daughter was born when I was stranded in Singapore, so I am very excited to go home and hold her for the first time. I can't even remember her full name because I have never met her," said Bali.
The air condition technician was among the first Malaysians to return under the land Vaccinated Travel Lane which began today.
The bus carrying the first 46 passengers from Singapore arrived at the Larkin Sentral Terminal at about 9.10 am.
Upon arrival, the passengers were taken to the arrival hall where they had to undergo a swab test before they were allowed to exit the hall.
Bali, 36, was met at the terminal by his wife Donna Alicia, 34, and three children Xerxes Monarch, 10, Xlevalzher Alex, eight, and Xuvalzher Alex, two.
"Thankfully, the process to return went smoothly. I will be spending a week with my family before I have to return to Singapore for work," said Bali, who has been working in the republic for 16 years.
The last time Bali met his family was about a year ago when he returned under the Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) scheme.
For Kevin Raj Gunalan, 24, his return today will be a surprise for his family.
"Nobody in my family knows that I'm coming home today. It will be a big surprise, especially for my mother," said Kevin, who has not been home for about six months.
He said the first thing he would do is to have nasi lemak and teh tarik.
"I will be here for three months before I have to return to Singapore," said Kevin, who works as an operations manager.
Last week, the Prime Minister's Office announced that Malaysia and Singapore will simultaneously launch both its air and land VTL between both countries on November 29.
The PMO said apart from workers, the VTL-Land is slated to provide an opportunity for Malaysians and Singaporeans on both sides of the causeway to be reunited with their loved ones due to lockdown-driven border closures.