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If you’re travelling to Johor Bahru over the weekend, be prepared to experience heavy traffic.
Due to the upcoming long weekend in Malaysia lasting from Mar. 23 till Mar. 26, traffic will be heavy on major roads and highways, The Star reported.
This weekend break is happening in conjunction with the start of Ramadan and the birthday of Johor's Sultan, which is on Mar. 23.
According to state police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat, personnel and officers from various departments will be deployed to facilitate smooth travel and ease congestion for road users.
Travellers from Singapore are advised to check for updates by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on traffic conditions at land checkpoints.
The latest Facebook post by ICA at 9:15am noted that heavy arrival traffic at Woodlands Checkpoint has subsided.
Start of Ramadan
“We expect people, especially Muslims, to travel back to their home towns to mark the first day of Ramadan with their loved ones”, Kamarul Zaman said on Mar. 22.
He added that police officers will be deployed to Ramadan bazaars and roads in the state throughout the fasting month, according to The Star.
Public holidays
The Johor government declared a replacement holiday date on Sunday (Mar. 26), as the state observes a Friday-Saturday weekend.
The state secretary of Johor, Azmi Rohani, said that Mar. 23 will be a public holiday.
"If the beginning of Ramadan, which is also a public holiday for Johor, falls on the same date [as the Johor Sultan's birthday], the state government has agreed to declare March 26 as a replacement holiday in accordance with Section Three of the Holidays Act."
The first day of Ramadan has always been marked as a public holiday in Johor.
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Top images via LTA & Unsplash/George Bakos