Johor Bahru checkpoint to close some bus zone counters, e-gates for upgrading works from Dec 15

SINGAPORE: Some bus zone counters and electronic gates (e-gates) at Johor Bahru land checkpoint will be closed from Friday (Dec 15) for upgrading works.

The upgrading works at Sultan Iskandar Building – the customs, immigration and quarantine complex (CIQ) in Johor – are set to be completed on Jan 15, 2024, according to a Facebook post by the CIQ communications unit on Tuesday.

The Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) counter will also be affected during this period. Eligible travellers who wish to use the e-gates at the checkpoint have to register their fingerprints at the MDAC counters on their first visit. They can use the e-gates on subsequent visits. 

Travellers were advised to take the closures into consideration when making their travel plans. 

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The announcement was met with some criticism online, with many questioning why upgrading work was being conducted during "peak season". 

Some voiced concern over the possibility of longer waits and more traffic jams. 

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi said he has requested that the closures be postponed. 

"I have asked for the upgrading works to be postponed until the end of the school holidays," he said. 

The Johor Bahru immigration authorities have not confirmed if the scheduled closures would be pushed back.

Heavy traffic is expected during Singapore's school holiday period from Nov 16 to Jan 2, Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said previously.

The MDAC was introduced in January as a pre-requisite to allow Singapore passport holders to use the e-gates when travelling into and out of Malaysia.

Malaysia's Immigration Department said that from Dec 1, the digital arrival card would be compulsory for all foreign nationals.

But last week, Malaysia's Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia are exempt from submitting the MDAC.

This sparked confusion online, with some people asking if the MDAC was still compulsory for entry via manual counters and e-gates.

Earlier this month, an hours-long power outage at the Johor Bahru land checkpoint caused long queues at the immigration facility and heavy traffic on the Causeway.

Pictures and videos on social media showed long queues at the departure hall of the checkpoint building, with people waiting in the dark.