It looks like Malaysia has a legitimate reason to shut down its side of the checkpoint on the Causeway -- even if it is for a while.

The Customs, Immigration And Quarantine Complex at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Johor Bahru (JB) Sentral Railway Station on Malaysia's side will be temporarily closed for an exercise on Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 from 12 midnight to 1am.

This was announced by Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Travellers, especially those who need to travel urgently, have been advised to use the Tuas Checkpoint instead during that timing.

What Malaysian police announced

The Malaysian police announced in a news release that an annual evacuation exercise will be conducted between 12am and 2am on Thursday -- about an hour longer than what the ICA said.

"This is an annual evacuation exercise to ensure that the relevant government agencies are prepared for any possibility," said the Malaysian police.

As many as 150 personnel will be involved in the emergency preparedness exercise.

A similar exercise is understood to have been conducted in 2017 as well.

Here is ICA's advisory:

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