Karu 6th Gear June 7, 2011 Share June 7, 2011 Anyone got stuck last weekend? Any latest status? Will be going thru 2nd link this weekend early in the morning at 6am, dunno whether will be stucked?? New system causes long delays at JB checkpoints A new biometric fingerprint scanning system at the two checkpoints going into Johor Bahru caused major traffic jams over the weekend. Both the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints saw snaking queues of cars from Malaysia customs all the way into Singapore. In some cases, motorists had to wait up to seven hours before they cleared JB customs, reported The Straits Times. The system, implemented four days ago, could not cope with the higher-than-usual number of tourists heading to Malaysia due to the weekend and June school holidays. The immigration clearance took as long as five minutes for each tourist, five times longer than the Immigration Department's target of one minute per tourist. The new system requires foreigners entering and leaving the country to have their left and right index fingers scanned at entry and exit points, while tourists only needed to have their passports stamped previously. Many tourists took at least 90 minutes to pass through immigration, forcing many of them to change or scrap their holiday plans. S. Karasima, 55, who booked a one-day visit to Malacca with a tour group, said the trip was cancelled and the group went on a tour of Johor Baru instead after he got stuck at the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) checkpoint at Johor Bahru. "It is unreasonable to make us wait for so long for immigration clearance. Do you have any idea how tiring it was to stand for almost two hours just to get through Immigration?," he said to Malaysian newspaper, the New Straits Times. It was the same situation as well over at the Tuas Second Link checkpoint, with most cars and buses taking about 150 minutes just to reach the complex in Malaysia. Checks with local tour guides showed about 60 tour coaches at Johor Bahru and 100 at the Second Link were affected by the delays. About 6,400 tourists were affected, most of them Singaporeans and Japanese. Malaysia Tour Guides Council president Jimmy Leong told the same paper the snarling traffic delay was a serious blow to Malaysia's tourism industry as tourists would have a bad impression of the country. According to him, while it usually takes about 20 minutes for each coach to get clearance, it took 90 minutes on Sunday, and this excludes the waiting time each coach to reach the complex from the Causeway. "My Japanese customers are so angry that they blamed me for not informing them about the situation at the checkpoint. They were supposed to reach Malacca by 12.30pm. However, they only managed to have their passports stamped at that time. "Their one-day Malacca tour was scrapped as a result of the delay." Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad urged travellers to be patient with the new security system, which is aimed at curbing transboundary crimes and terrorism threats, as they ironed out the problems. "For some people, it takes only a minute. For others, it takes about two to three minutes. We welcome feedback and will improve the system as soon as possible." Alias also urged Singaporean motorists to apply for the Malaysia Automated Clearance System at any Immigration office for faster immigration clearance as they do need to have their fingers scanned after their first visit. ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamburger Hypersonic June 7, 2011 Share June 7, 2011 people started singing few days ago, now then you come and join the party? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karu 6th Gear June 8, 2011 Author Share June 8, 2011 Aiyah... Out of action for the past few days... Down with flu, dun have mood to get on-line... Juz hope the Q is not so bad on Sat morning 5:30am when I set off... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longg8 Clutched June 10, 2011 Share June 10, 2011 heard the jam is stiill v bad at woodlands..how abt tuas ?? any update?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary84 1st Gear June 11, 2011 Share June 11, 2011 Went in msia via Tuas chkpoint yesterday morning about 930am.....3/4 twds the msia customs, the jam piled up... Stucked there for over an hour....Gosh!!...The buses were moving even slower.... -.- heard the jam is stiill v bad at woodlands..how abt tuas ?? any update?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kangadrool Supersonic June 11, 2011 Share June 11, 2011 looks like my hols plan for July is perished. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZaC71S 1st Gear June 11, 2011 Share June 11, 2011 looks like my hols plan for July is perished. Bro I believe by July, the traffic should smoothen. Now June hols mah. So keep ur fingers crossed man. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishman 1st Gear July 3, 2011 Share July 3, 2011 Bros, any update on the immigration jam these days? Want to go in later, but causeway looks jammed. 2nd link how? thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fcw75 Hypersonic July 3, 2011 Share July 3, 2011 This fingerprint scanning thing is random one. I went in twice but both times never ask me to put my 2 index fingers on the device. I even asked them and they waved me to move on. The second time I went in, the couple in the Toyota Wish in front of me kenna but when I drove forward, the officer never ask me to do it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafansu Turbocharged July 3, 2011 Share July 3, 2011 This fingerprint scanning thing is random one. I went in twice but both times never ask me to put my 2 index fingers on the device. I even asked them and they waved me to move on. The second time I went in, the couple in the Toyota Wish in front of me kenna but when I drove forward, the officer never ask me to do it. because they dont bother Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragos 1st Gear August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 how is it now? still got scanning? have not drove in since oct 2010...haha Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjkbeluga 5th Gear August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 how is it now? still got scanning? have not drove in since oct 2010...haha Looks like it's there for good.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafansu Turbocharged August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 Went in two weeks ago on a weekday. No scanning Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13177 Supersonic August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 Fingerprint scanning comes back again? I guess long long jam at the custom again? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hngatino Neutral Newbie August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 Have been in and out of JB during the weekends for the past 3 weeks - no scanning required! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragos 1st Gear August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 thanks!!! want to go in to buy mooncakes...:) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
13177 Supersonic August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 thanks!!! want to go in to buy mooncakes...:) Buy mooncakes? So early? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemo6089 1st Gear August 20, 2011 Share August 20, 2011 Moon cakes no need to buy one, wait for people to give lah Every year I will get at least 2 boxes of them, from hotel somemore, sometimes eat until don't want to eat. ↡ Advertisement Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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