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The upgrading works will be done in phases and are set to end on Jan 15, 2024.
Long lines at the arrival hall for bus passengers at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar immigration building in Johor Bahru, Malaysia on Oct 21, 2022. (Photo: Facebook/UKK BSI)
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13 Dec 2023 08:53PM (Updated: 13 Dec 2023 09:00PM)
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.
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.
Counters closed during the works Bus departure zone: Phase 1: Starting Dec 15
MDAC counter E-gate counters 1 to 3 Manual counters 1 to 4 Phase 2: Starting Dec 21
E-gate counters 1 to 6 Manual counters 11 to 18 Phase 3: Starting Dec 28
Manual counters 3 to 12 Bus arrival zone: Phase 1: Starting Dec 28
MDAC counter E-gate counters 1 to 3 Manual counters 1 to 4 Phase 2: Starting Jan 3, 2024
E-gate counters 1 to 6 Manual counters 11 to 18 Phase 3: Starting Jan 9, 2024
Manual counters 3 to 12 Collapse Expand
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.