JOHOR BARU: The government only has a tiny window in February to remove any legal stumbling blocks that stand in the way of seamless border clearance in both directions between Bukit Chagar here and Woodlands North of Singapore, which is the defining feature of the Rapid Transit System (RTS).
Scheduled to begin operations in January next year, the cross-border LRT features co-located Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities at both ends of the rail line.
Under the bilateral arrangement, Singapore border officials will station themselves at Bukit Chagar, next to their Malaysian counterparts, to facilitate quick clearance for those headed for Singapore and ease cross-border movements.
This means travellers from Johor just need to disembark from the LRT at Woodlands North before heading to their next destination without any further clearance required, as they were already cleared by Singaporean border officials on the Johor side.
However, before the co-located CIQ facility can become a reality, immigration and customs regulations governing this arrangement must be amended to permit it, which will also involve Malaysian border officials being stationed at Woodlands North to facilitate the journey in the reverse direction.
In a Bernama report on Aug 26 last year, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said a Bill aimed at establishing the co-located CIQ is anticipated to be presented in Dewan Rakyat this February.
“If new laws are not created, we need to amend 37 existing laws, each with interconnected provisions. Therefore, the best option is to introduce a new law that consolidates all requirements. We only have a ‘window’ in the February (2026) parliamentary session to table it,” he said, while also confirming that the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) will serve as the lead frontline agency for Malaysia.
With a year to go before commercial operations, any delay to the Bill, tentatively called the RTS Link Border Bill, could jeopardise the timeline.
Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Malaysia (CILT Malaysia) president Prof Dr Muhammad Zaly Shah said the Bill enabling joint border clearance is fundamental to the success of the RTS.
“In the absence of the legislative framework, even if the station and the train itself are fully functional, it is impossible to operate the system in the manner in which it was originally designed,” he said, warning that any delay on the legislative front will derail the timeline.
This will result in a loss of valuable time needed to create standard operating procedures, recruit and train staff, and conduct joint simulations before the opening.
“You will have to test passenger processing when you open the service, which is the opposite of what you want. Delays in the Bill can put the opening date at risk, even if construction is on track,” he said.
Other measures to smoothen the journey include adequate e-gates and manual counters, surge staffing plans, and joint operations capabilities, said Muhammad Zaly, who added that robust full-scale simulations using real passengers are necessary to stress-test the system ahead of opening.
He said operational challenges for cross-border rail typically include managing peak-hour surges, ensuring clear governance across jurisdictions, achieving safety certifications, and drawing contingency plans for disruptions.
“The next few months will be a period of more extensive and rigorous testing. This is typically the period where the true nature of potential problems is identified,” he said.
