The Chief Minister of Johor, Onn Hafiz Ghazi, visited the customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex in Johor on March 9 following reports of long queues and congestion. According to Onn, the problems were caused by technical issues in the M-Bike system for motorcyclists at Malaysia’s entry and exit points, as well as a server fire that disrupted the e-gate system.
The technical issues resulted in immigration officers being deployed to the manual M-Bike counters, causing a shortage of officers at the car counters and leading to long queues and congestion.
Onn stated that he had contacted Malaysia’s Home Affairs Minister to discuss the problems and find solutions.
The New Straits Times reported on March 6 that motorcyclists had to wait for hours to clear immigration, and there were long queues at both CIQs. On March 10, social media users posted pictures and videos of huge crowds on the ground, highlighting the severity of the issue.
Onn ended his Facebook post with a positive note, expressing his hope that the issues in both CIQs would be resolved shortly. The incident highlights the importance of addressing technical issues promptly and efficiently to prevent long queues and congestion, which can cause inconvenience and frustration for travelers. It also underscores the need for effective communication and coordination between relevant authorities to ensure smooth operations and maintain public trust.