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For more than two years now, Singaporeans have been unable to return to Johor Bahru for leisure.

With the recent announcement that both Singapore and Malaysia are opening up their borders to vaccinated travellers for quarantine-free travel, it seems that our weekend trips to JB will no longer be a pipe dream. 

But Johor Bahru has changed dramatically within the past two years and the city that Singaporeans flock back to from April 1 will not be what we remember it to be — as evidenced in this account by Johorean Anizah K, told to her cousin (our colleague) Irwan Shah, and published with her permission. 

By Anizah K, as told to Irwan Shah

Well, a lot has changed in Johor Bahru (JB) — like seriously, a lot.

The best part was the super-duper cheap petrol during the early days of Covid-19. I used to fill my car’s tank to the brim and it wouldn't even reach RM50 (S$16.11)!

But now, the prices have gone back up to normal — usually RM50 (S$16.11) and above. Generally, the price of everything here is cheaper than before, but not a lot of people can afford them. 

Many hotels in JB closed permanently

Oh, and did I forget to mention? A lot of hotels have closed permanently due to the pandemic.

The only way some hotels survive is to get themselves involved in the quarantine programme. If not, they will need to close down to avoid getting into debt. One of the hotels that closed down was the Puteri Pacific Hotel.

When hotels were reopened to the public, their rooms were super cheap! But people were still afraid to go because of the notion that the rooms were still contaminated with the virus. 

Not me though.

I booked a three-day two-night staycation at Berjaya Waterfront Hotel so that my child could have a nice hotel experience. They had a special offer at that time. When we arrived, I immediately knew that the price we paid was worth it. We didn’t include breakfast in our booking but that's okay.

Family members growing up apart

The saddest part for me was the fate of Johoreans working overseas.

My friend’s husband works in Singapore. He could not quit his job so he only came back to JB a year after the pandemic started. His son grew up during that time without his father around him. 

As for me, my husband decided to quit his job in Singapore and tried to find a new one in JB. He only got employed four months later.

Previously, I had my e-commerce business but when Covid-19 hit, it was so hard to deliver my products to my clients since we couldn't go out. There were a lot of roadblocks everywhere. My sales went down horribly because I couldn’t deliver my stuff.

Many of Singaporeans' favourite haunts have changed

“Sungai Segget” has changed a lot, and it looks really beautiful now. But I’ve not been there yet though. I saw some photos here and there from family and friends.

I won’t lie to you. The next time you come to JB, you’ll need to start looking at the maps again. 

On the other hand, Danga Bay hasn’t changed much. It was closed during the start of the pandemic and when it reopened, there were only a couple of upgrades here and there.

There are a lot of buildings that are dilapidated here in JB. Safe to say, if you want to go anywhere, do a Google search first and call the place to make sure it is still open. Better to do this rather than find out the place is already gone when you arrive.

Another place that Singaporeans are fond of: Puteri Harbour.

There is no more Hello Kitty Land over there, sadly. It was one of the popular spots where families used to have their outings. Now, there are a lot of vacant shops. During the past three years, there has been a lot of new developments in this area.

Banafee Village is still surviving (don’t worry Singaporeans!); there are vendors who still operate there. However, you will probably find it less bustling than before since most of the vendors moved their businesses online since the early pandemic days.

Malls popular with Singaporeans

The malls aren’t the first choice for a family outing anymore.

Instead, a lot of Johorean families choose to go to open public spaces, such as football fields, to spend time together. They will cook at home and have a picnic afterwards.

But those who are yearning for JB malls — do you remember Angsana? I felt sad when I went there. The prices of the goods there were so expensive (I think that they are seriously overpriced). But at least Angsana still survives, though many shops have been closed and replaced with new ones. 

As for AEON Mall Tebrau City, it is still surviving since it's located near IKEA and Toppen Shopping Centre.

The cinema though is basically empty. You will rarely see long queues at the ticket counter, probably because people don’t even know if the cinemas are still open or closed. I’ve not been to a cinema for a very long time too.

The Zon, a mall famous for its duty-free products, is an empty shell of what it once was. I went there in October 2021 and there were only two or three shops that are still open. One of them was a shop that sold chocolates while the others were liquor stores. That’s it!

For the famous Larkin Sentral, there have been a few upgrades here and there.

The current Larkin Sentral is vastly different from the old Larkin. A mall is being built near Larkin, but its progress has been unsteady ever since Covid-19 hit. So I’m still waiting for it to be completed and launched.

I guess I have a lot more to say but here’s what I have for now. Fingers crossed, I hope things get better here when our land borders open. See you soon, cousin!

Read more:

https://mothership.sg/2022/03/singapore-malaysia-borders-reopen/

https://mothership.sg/2021/10/ksl-city-mall-johor-empty/

https://mothership.sg/2022/02/wild-boar-swimming-to-johor/

https://mothership.sg/2022/01/malaysian-man-propose-girlfriend-vtl/

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Top image credit: Wikipedia