File photo of the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex at Bukit Chagar, Johor Baru.
JOHOR BARU: There are nearly 1,000 pending tasks on the to-do list at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex and the Johor Baru Sentral (JB Sentral) transportation hub here.
The tasks, ranging from repairs of faulty facilities and upgrading works to cleanliness, have accumulated since the Covid-19 pandemic started.
A state government’s task force, initially formed to oversee congestion at the Johor Causeway, has been reactivated to monitor these works, among others, after the reopening of the international borders in April.
State works, transportation and infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said more than 1,300 “problems” were identified at the CIQ complex located in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and JB Sentral.
“They cover various aspects, from faulty lights, toilets, autogates and escalators to lifts,” he said.
Between May and July, Mohamad Fazli said 355 of these work orders had been completed.
“We are pushing for the remaining jobs to be done as soon as possible,” he said when contacted yesterday.
He noted that one of the faulty escalators at the CIQ had been repaired recently while another one was being upgraded.
“All the escalators at CIQ and JB Sentral are obsolete as these two are old buildings, so we need to choose the most crucial ones to be replaced first,” he explained.
Mohamad Fazli said the escalators at the CIQ were switched off when there was no crowd, typically between 2am and 3am, to save electricity.
“People might think they are not working. This is not true,” he added.
The Star has earlier highlighted that the CIQ, being one of the busiest checkpoints in the country, has been plagued with complaints about its facilities.
In June, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob made a surprise visit to the building and assured the public that the facilities would be improved.
“I was able to enjoy the facilities at the CIQ, including its public transport, which is in good condition. However, there are some faulty escalators and autogates.
“These issues will be solved as soon as possible for the benefit of Keluarga Malaysia and travellers,” Ismail Sabri wrote on his Facebook page after the visit.
