KDN considers dedicated lanes at Johor Causeway and Second Link to ease congestion on July 11 as voters return from Singapore.
PETALING JAYA: The Home Ministry (KDN) is considering special arrangements, including dedicated lanes if necessary, to ease congestion at the Johor Causeway and the Second Link on July 11, when thousands of Johor voters residing in Singapore are expected to return home to cast their ballots.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said preparations are underway to ensure smooth cross-border movement during the polling period, as the Immigration Department continues transitioning to a new immigration system.
He said the department is still operating on its existing legacy system while the migration to a new platform remains in progress.
“The current status indicates that there is still a possibility of disruptions during this transition process. Therefore, our focus now is to ensure that on polling day, July 11, such disruptions are avoided,” he told reporters after the nomination procession for the Johor state election today.
Saifuddin said KDN has established a special task force to respond to any potential disruptions, with contingency measures already in place.
“We have prepared Plan A and Plan B. That is the directive I have given to the ministry,” he said.
He stressed that while the system upgrade is ongoing, the ministry’s priority is to ensure uninterrupted operations at the country’s busiest land checkpoints during the election period.
“The main point is that we are still operating on the old system, which is being upgraded before a full transition to the new one. The possibility of hiccups during this transition period cannot be ruled out,” he said.
However, he gave an assurance that every effort would be made to prevent disruptions that could affect voters travelling between Singapore and Johor.
“Our priority now is to ensure that on July 11 there will be no disruptions that could affect movement at the checkpoints,” he said.
Asked whether dedicated lanes would be introduced for returning voters, Saifuddin said the ministry was prepared to consider all necessary measures.
“We will explore all possible measures if necessary, including providing dedicated lanes to facilitate Malaysian voters residing in Singapore to return home to fulfil their responsibilities,” he added.
