Malaysia to ‘adjust’ land border control to align with Singapore’s tighter security checks
Since Feb 28, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has stepped up security checks on arriving travellers, cargo and vehicles at all of the country’s entry points due to a heightened global security situation.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Travellers heading into Johor from Singapore via the land checkpoints may soon face delays as Malaysia seeks to adjust its border management control in a bid to align with the Republic’s tightened security checks.
Since Feb 28, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has stepped up security checks on arriving travellers, cargo and vehicles at all of the country’s entry points due to a heightened global security situation, including due to the Iran war.
On Wednesday (Apr 1), Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency director-general Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said Malaysia will make similar adjustments to border security.
“We respect Singapore's decision and we will have to adjust at our end," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
It is unclear if the adjustments will apply to all of Malaysia’s checkpoints, or just its land checkpoints with Singapore.
Shuhaily also advised Malaysians commuting daily to Singapore to plan their journeys more carefully to avoid peak-hour congestion.
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This comes amid reports of worsening congestion, with cross-border commuters flooding social media with dashcam footage and images of bumper-to-bumper traffic along the Causeway.
Meanwhile, authorities on both sides have urged better planning and patience amid the tighter security measures.
Separately, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi met with Singapore Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Apr 1 following the latter’s invitation to conduct a working visit to Woodlands Checkpoint to observe the operations there.
“During the visit, I was also briefed by ICA on the implementation of a QR code-based immigration clearance system as well as the use of facial recognition as the primary biometric identifier, which not only enhances border security but also expedites traffic flow,” he wrote on Facebook.
He added that they also discussed efforts to strengthen Johor–Singapore strategic cooperation in line with the development of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) as a key catalyst for regional economic growth.
“May this meeting continue to strengthen Johor–Singapore relations for the benefit of both countries,” said Onn Hafiz.
The Johor-Singapore Causeway is one of the busiest land checkpoints in the world, where an estimated 300,000 people cross the border daily. ICA had previously said that it expects the number to increase to about 400,000 by 2050.
Among the measures to alleviate congestion include an expansion of the Woodlands Checkpoint, as well as the Johor-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. The RTS Link is expected to begin operations by the end of this year.
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