‘Immigration buildings in dire need of revamp’

Calling for action: (From left) Leong, Krishnan and Dayalan say improving the two land crossings will improve the welfare of the rakyat, while Mohamad Fazli (right) says the state government has set up a task force to oversee the congestion problem.

JOHOR BARU: The two land crossings between Johor and Singapore are in need of a major overhaul to ease congestion and allow travellers to have a more comfortable experience, say several parties.

Johor Tourist Guides Association president Jimmy Leong Wei Kong said the congestion at the Johor Causeway and the Second Link had been going on for far too long, and should be solved once and for all.

“Budget 2023 should include a huge allocation to upgrade the two Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) holistically. Facilities such as toilets should also be increased as millions use the two crossings every year.

“It is not just about making small improvements. We need to restructure the two buildings and checkpoints completely to make congestion a thing of the past.

“This was promised to us for many years under different state governments, but until now, we have yet to see any major changes,” he told The Star, adding that the Federal Government should also revisit the plan to provide the covered pedestrian walkway along the Causeway.

“We have been waiting for this for so long. The previous state government announced that it would be constructed, but until now, there has been no update,” said Leong.

Johor Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry secretary Datuk K. Krishnan said that major reconstruction should be done at both the Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) and the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) CIQ.

“Thousands are using the two crossings daily now; it is very different from how things were when they were first built.

“The Federal Government must take this matter seriously and ensure that allocations are given to carry out major restructuring of the two buildings,” he said.

Malaysian-Singapore Workers Task Force (Pemas) president S. Dayalan said that improving the two land crossings would improve the welfare of tens of thousands of Johoreans working in Singapore.

“We need to remember that the Johoreans are travelling between the two countries every single day, and being forced to go through massive congestion every day could really affect their mental health and increase their stress,” said Dayalan.

Meanwhile, Johor works, transportation and infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the state government had been able to resolve half of the more than 1,000 pending work orders at BSI.

“We have set up a task force to oversee the congestion problem at the CIQ that involves various agencies under the state and Federal Government.

“There are things that we can resolve quickly, such as fixing escalators and elevators, and improving the cleanliness and lighting.

“However, since BSI is under the Home Ministry and involves other federal agencies, we need to engage many parties,” he said.