M'sia sets up taskforce to deal with Johor-S'pore traffic on Jul. 11 polling day, has 'Plan A & Plan B' ready

In view of the Jul. 11 Johor state election, Malaysia has set up a special task force to address potential disruptions at the Johor-Singapore causeway and other entry points as residents return to vote.

Malaysia's home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told reporters on Jun. 27 that the ministry's "highest priority" is ensuring that no disruptions occur on polling day.

"We are not taking any chances. We have Plan A and Plan B ready to go," he said.

The minister acknowledged there is still a "risk of disruptions" in terms of travel at the border crossings, The Star reported.

This comes as Malaysia transitions to a new immigration system. Last month, a glitch in the system caused queues of up to five hours.

Dedicated lanes for voters

While he did not elaborate on what measures would be taken, he said that the ministry is planning to provide "dedicated lanes" at the immigration checkpoints for Malaysian voters who live in Singapore.

This is so they can "return home to fulfil their responsibilities", reported The Sun Malaysia.

Previously, the Malaysian home ministry said it would study the possibility of such a fast lane to help Malaysians in Singapore return to vote.

"We will accommodate anything that can help facilitate Johor voters’ participation in the democratic process on polling day, to the best of our ability,” he said according to Free Malaysia Today.