JOHOR BARU, April 19 — With the Aidilfitri celebrations around the corner, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi today expressed his disappointment at the low operational efficiency of the state’s main border checkpoint in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
He said that the border checkpoint’s operational preparation was not at its optimal efficiency and it urgently needed to be improved before Hari Raya comes.
“Among the issues that needed immediate attention are passport control counters that are still not operating, technical system problems and a lack of staff. The BSI CIQ complex is considered the busiest border crossing in the world and is expected to be even busier once the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays approach.
“In terms of efficiency today, I see that it is not yet at the 100 per cent mark and I would say its only at 80 per cent,” said Onn Hafiz after a surprise inspection at the BSI CIQ complex here during the pre-dawn hours this morning.
For the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri period, the Johor state government said it expects a spike of about two million visitors and vehicles to travel between Malaysia and Singapore via the Johor Causeway.
Onn Hafiz said he also extended an invitation to newly appointed Immigration Department director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh to visit the BSI CIQ soon to assist in finding ways to increase its efficiency.
“On my working visit, I noticed that some of the passport control counters were closed due to a lack of staff, while some have system glitches due to Road Transport Department (RTD) issues which are expected to be fixed within the next one to two days.
“I have requested that all counters at BSI CIQ either for cars, motorcycles, bus passengers, and even pedestrians be open and operational,” he said, adding that all technical and staffing issues should be resolved by then.
Onn Hafiz stressed that this was the reason for Ruslin, the newly-appointed director-general, to visit the BSI CIQ and look into resolving the issues.
“At the same time, I am also concerned about the welfare of the Immigration Department officers, who are struggling to cope with the sudden influx of visitors.
“I hope these matters can be resolved as soon as possible,” he said.
