Malaysia and Singapore experienced a significant disruption at the border due to a failure in the automated passport control system, leading to multi-kilometer queues and long delays. The incident occurred at the Sultan Iskandar building in Johor Baru, a bustling border point where thousands of people cross daily.
The malfunction started on Sunday, December 8, causing delays of up to four hours as passengers had to undergo manual checks. Additional lanes were eventually opened by Malaysian authorities to ease the flow. It took about ten hours to fully restore the operation of control points and automatic gates.
Approximately 350 thousand people and over 100 thousand vehicles pass through this border transition every day, with many residents of Johor Baru commuting to work in Singapore for better wages and cost of living. Singaporeans also visit Malaysia for leisure and shopping.
The most impacted travelers were bus passengers who had to disembark for checks, comprising 45% of total travelers using this particular crossing. The cause of the system failure is still unknown, with rumors suggesting internet connectivity issues, although there is no official confirmation yet.
Despite recent tests of a QR code-supporting MyBorderPass application with plans for face recognition integration, concerns about the infrastructure’s reliability persist following repeated failures. The situation led Singapore authorities to advise citizens against traveling to Johor Baru to avoid inconvenience.
This incident underscores the importance of stable and effective technologies to ensure border safety and efficiency, prompting Malaysian authorities to address technical malfunctions and enhance the control system’s performance. The disruptions highlight the need for robust infrastructure to manage high volumes of traffic at one of the world’s busiest border points.