Malaysians traveling to Singapore on factory buses will be able to use QR codes at both of Johor’s land gates to clear immigration as part of a test program that begins in June. The program, which is being led by Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, is a successful reaction to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of Singapore’s decision to introduce a QR code program for car travelers on its side of the land border on March 19.
The State Works, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communication Committee Chairman, Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, clarified that while traveling by bus, or “bas kilangs,” passengers are required to create and provide a QR code for the authorities to scan.
This pilot mainly focuses on Malaysian individuals who commute to Singapore. Nevertheless, travelers must still bring their passports because the QR code systems in Malaysia and Singapore currently function differently. On a daily basis, 400 to 500 of these buses travel through the Johor-Singapore land crossings, delivering workers to companies and industrial zones.
Fazli stated that the Home Ministry consented to the “officers-on-board” approach for the trial phase before considering broader implementation at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) in Johor Baru and the SecondLink Komplex Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) in Gelang Patah.
According to Fazli, discussions are ongoing to fine-tune the system’s implementation, with an emphasis on the “polishing up” and “tightening” stages.He additionally disclosed that the Malaysian Cross Border Agency (MCBA) was a member of the QR system implementation committee.
This move comes after the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) launched a QR code system for automobile travelers at the Woodlands and Tuas crossings on March 19, 2024, allowing them to utilize QR codes instead of passports for immigration clearance.
The QR Code system will first be implemented in Johor, making it the first Malaysian state to adopt this technology at international borders.
In March, Johor Immigration Department head Baharuddin Tahir stated that the daily number of travelers at the Sultan Iskandar Building and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex checks is presently between 430,000 and 450,000.
Source : Gutzy Asia
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