Despite the Health Ministry expressing concern over the spread of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) from Singapore, the Johor state government today said it encourages visitors from the republic.

Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman said the state government wanted to turn the state - which borders the republic - into a tourist and shopping haven for Singaporeans.

However, he added that health screening conducted o­n both sides of the causeway would continue to ensure that o­nly those who were fit were allowed into the state.

"We are still imposing health checks by carrying out double pre-screening tests o­n Singaporeans and foreign tourists who enter Johor via the country (Singapore) to avoid the disease from spreading," he was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.

Abdul Ghani said the outbreak, which has claimed 16 lives in the neighbouring country, has caused a sharp decline in the number of Singaporean tourists visiting the state.

He added that this has affected businesses at shopping malls and recreational centres in the state.

The Menteri Besar said the hotel industry had managed to withstand the fallout from the viral outbreak, which has killed more than 250 people worldwide.

Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that Penang also welcomed visitors including those from Singapore.

"We want people to know that Malaysia is a safe place to visit but we just want to check o­n their health conditions," he said.

Malaysian vegetables

In a related development, seventy Malaysian lorries ferrying vegetables and fruits were allowed into the republic yesterday.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Mohd Shariff Omar said the lorries were allowed to distribute vegetables to supermarkets and hypermarkets in the island.

He said it was not true that Singaporean authorities had imposed a total ban o­n produce from Malaysia.

The ban was o­nly restricted to the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market which was closed for 10 days since Monday.

"The Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market was forced to close after a trader died of Sars. But they did not restrict our vegetables to other areas," he said according to another Bernama report.

Singapore imported 359,350 tonnes of vegetables, costing RM564.8 million last year, and 45 percent of its imports were from Malaysia. About 70 percent of the imports are handled at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Market.

Mohd Shariff said Singapore authorities wanted to ban lorry drivers and attendants who visited the wholesale market between April 8-19, fearing they would have contracted the disease.

"What is important now is the drivers and attendants involved must undergo medical check-up for their own safety. Lorry operators can find other temporary drivers," he said.

Not badly affected

The deputy minister added that although vegetable distributors and farmers faced difficulties to export their produces to Singapore, prices of vegetables were not badly affected in the local market.

The ministry had directed the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority to increase the sales of vegetables in the local farm products markets.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Chua Jui Meng today said the ministry was in the process of tracking down 203 Malaysian lorry drivers and attendants who had frequented the market.

It is also tracing those who came into contact with these people.

The country has recorded six probable Sars cases to date, of which two people have died.

Yesterday, the ministry said Malaysia has not shown any signs of local transmission but aired its concern over the threat posed by Singapore.