A technical glitch at the two Malaysian land checkpoints with Singapore reportedly left thousands of foreign travellers stranded for up to two hours on Saturday (Jan 10).

At Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) in Johor Bahru across from the Woodlands Checkpoint, travellers queued for up to two hours before managing to clear immigration, reported The Star.

The report added that at least 39 autogates at the entry and 29 machines at the exit areas of the bus halls at BSI crashed on Saturday due to the huge influx of foreigners during the weekend, after the system had experienced problems for a few days.

The autogates at the KTM train station at BSI were also affected, said one security official, with The Star reporting that the glitch had affected "tens of thousands of foreigners".

Photos and videos posted to TikTok on Saturday showed congestion at the immigration hall, with long lines for buses towards Johor at Woodlands Checkpoint.

According to the Woodlands Checkpoint Human Traffic Facebook page, one traveller from Singapore posted at 9.18am about the issue with the autogates and long queues to clear customs on both sides.

Another user reported that the autogates were giving problems before 8am.

'No situation involving 10,000 people stranded'

In a Jan 10 statement obtained by Malaysian publication New Straits Times (NST), State Works, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communications Committee chairman Fazli Salleh denied claims that as many as 10,000 foreigners were affected by the glitch.

He admitted to the technical glitch affecting foreign passport autogates at both BSI and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (CIQ Second Link), but stressed that the issue was not as serious as reported.

"Based on CCTV monitoring, there was no situation involving 10,000 people being stranded. The situation was controlled and did not pose any safety or security concerns," Fazli was quoted by NST as stating.

Once the root cause of the disruption was identified, recovery works were carried out progressively, he said. But long queues persisted as some travellers continued waiting at the e-gates despite advice to use the manual counters or Malaysia's National Integrated Immigration System (MyNIISe) application.

Since September, Singaporeans and other foreign travellers have been able to at designated lanes at Johor land checkpoints. This allows them to clear immigration without having to show their passports.

According to a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday night by the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), the situation appeared to be unresolved, with the agency stating that the e-gate system is "experiencing technical difficulties involving only foreign passport holders".

However, the movement of travellers through the checkpoints was said to be smooth, with photos showing short lines at immigration counters.

The statement also added that assistance and guidance will be provided for those using the autogates at the following locations:

• Arrival hall: e-Gates 19, 20, 21 and 22

• Departure hall: e-Gates 5, 6, 7 and 8

Foreign visitors are also advised to download the MyNIIse application to use at the QR code counters and manual counters that have been set up.

According to online posts by travellers heading to Johor on Sunday, immigration clearance was smooth in the morning. One traveller stated that he needed two attempts at the BSI e-gates before clearing immigration, with his bus journey across the Causeway completed in 25 minutes.

candicecai@asiaone.com