SINGAPORE: The details of how Singapore and Malaysia will handle incidents on the upcoming Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) were set out in a new Bill tabled in Parliament on Tuesday (April 7).
The Cross-Border Railways (Border Control Co-Location) Bill, introduced by Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong, also outlines the powers that Malaysian immigration officers based in Singapore will have.
The arrangements are reciprocal, applying as well to Singapore’s officers based in Malaysia.
The RTS Link, which is slated to start operations at the end of 2026, will run daily between Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru and Woodlands North MRT station. Trains can carry up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction, at speeds of up to 80kmh.
Passengers will clear immigration only at the point of boarding. This means that both countries will have Customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) facilities at the two RTS Link stations, with immigration officers from each side deployed at the other country’s station.
The Bill provides for designated areas in Woodlands North MRT station to serve as Malaysia’s CIQ zone. Malaysian border laws will apply there, allowing Malaysian officers to conduct checks on passengers and goods entering Malaysia, said the Home Affairs Ministry (MHA) in a statement.
However, Singapore law will still apply within these zones. MHA added that only Malaysian officers formally recognised by Singapore can operate in these zones, and that such recognition may be revoked without giving a reason.
Malaysian officers can’t make arrests in Singapore: MHA
Within its designated areas, Malaysian officers can check travel documents, screen travellers, and turn away people or goods not allowed into Malaysia, MHA said. However, these powers are limited.
Malaysian officers cannot make arrests in Singapore. If they detain a person or seize an item, they must hand them over to Singapore officers as soon as possible, MHA said.
The Bill also grants Malaysian officers legal protection while on duty in Singapore. They will be treated as public servants under Singapore law, so offences against them are handled the same way as those against local officers.
These arrangements are reciprocal, said MHA, and Singapore officers at the Bukit Chagar station will have similar powers and protections under Malaysian law.
Malaysia passed its own law on March 5 to allow Singapore officers to operate there with the necessary powers and protections.
Bill sets out how incidents on board will be handled
Beyond border checks, the new Bill also sets out how incidents will be handled.
Singapore and Malaysia will be responsible for safety and security within their own territories.
For example, incidents in Malaysia’s designated areas in Woodlands North station will be handled by the Singapore authorities, while Malaysia will handle incidents in Singapore’s designated areas at Bukit Chagar station.
For cross-border incidents, such as on trains travelling between the two countries, both sides can respond. Singapore officers, including those from the police or civil defence force, may act in Malaysia in emergencies to save lives or limit damage.
Malaysian officers may do the same in Singapore under similar conditions. However, neither side’s officers can make arrests in the other country, MHA said.
Both countries have also jointly developed procedures for such situations. “Taken together, these laws and (procedures) will enable effective response to cross-border incidents and help keep travellers safe,” said MHA.
The Bill also covers criminal cases on trains or tracks between the two countries. While both sides will have the authority to investigate, the country where the journey ends has the first right to act, MHA said. However, this can be transferred if the other country has a stronger public interest in handling the case.
MHA said that this approach mirrors arrangements in other cross-border rail systems, such as the Channel Tunnel between Britain and France, and helps avoid uncertainty over where an offence took place.
Singapore and Malaysia will hold a tabletop exercise later in 2026 to test both sides’ readiness for cross-border incidents, the ministry told The Straits Times.
Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority began training officers for RTS Link operations in April. The programme, which runs until September, covers border clearance and incident management, to equip officers with the skills needed to ensure the RTS Link’s safety and security, MHA said.
The Bill also proposes that data collected by Singapore officers in Malaysia will be treated as if gathered in Singapore and governed by Singapore law, with reciprocal protections for Malaysian officers in Singapore.
It also suggests that Singapore-issued equipment at Bukit Chagar is “inviolable and immune from seizure, confiscation or any other form of interference by Malaysia”, MHA said. - The Straits Times/ANN
