JOHOR BARU: Despite tightened security measures at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, congestion and immigration inspections were under control and proceeded smoothly on Monday.

Traveling by car from the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar to Singapore's Immigration Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in Woodlands took about two hours (one-way).

For frequent commuters between Johor Baru and Singapore's checkpoints, waiting between one and two hours for immigration clearance and experiencing traffic congestion is considered normal.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong ordered security measures to be tightened at border checkpoints to prevent potential terrorist attacks.

This followed the attack on Friday (May 17) at the Ulu Tiram police station, which resulted in the deaths of two police constables and the injury of a corporal. The suspect was shot dead.

To check the situation, a New Straits Times journalist drove to Singapore in a 4x4 truck from the state capital, accompanied by a Malaysian with a Singapore work permit and a Singaporean.

To enter Singapore, the journalist had downloaded the republic's QR Code Immigration Clearance System.

The road trip to the CIQ BSI was smooth, and immigration clearance took less than half an hour, despite some traffic congestion entering the complex. This was at about 10am on Monday.

No heightened security enforcement presence was observed at the exit point.

A notable change was that the journalist's passport was stamped, which had not been done previously.

Traffic along the Causeway was smooth, with motorists queuing in their respective lanes, aided by the heightened presence of Singapore uniformed enforcement officers.

Unlike before, motorists were not jumping queues or attempting to use the lane dedicated to public buses to bypass traffic.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/05/1053891/business-usual-johor-singapore-checkpoints-despite-tighter-security