Malaysia acts to avert Singapore causeway chaos amid Johor state election
A special task force is preparing for a massive polling day surge as up to 200,000 cross-border workers return home to vote
“We are not taking any chances. We have Plan A and Plan B ready to go. That is the directive I have given to the ministry,” Saifuddin said on Saturday, as reported by state-run news agency Bernama.
Between 100,000 and 200,000 Johoreans work in neighbouring Singapore, according to local media estimates from 2022. The causeway ranks among the world’s busiest land crossings, with an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people using it on a typical day, the New Straits Times has reported.
There remains a possibility of disruptions
The focus on causeway traffic comes as Malaysia transitions to a new immigration system designed to improve reliability and handle higher passenger volumes at its border checkpoints.
“We are still using the existing system because the transition to the new system is ongoing,” Saifuddin said, as quoted by the Sinar Daily newspaper. “There remains a possibility of disruptions during the migration process. Our focus now is to ensure that any disruptions can be avoided on polling day.”