PETALING JAYA: Bus commuters heading to Singapore were left with a catastrophic situation at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, Johor Bahru, yesterday when a technical glitch caused all 46 auto gates to malfunction.
According to New Straits Times, the glitch which occurred at 12.30pm, resulted in disrupted immigration clearance at the bus arrival and exit halls, forcing its officers to resort to manual clearances causing up to a four-hour delay for commuters.
However, immigration clearance for cars, motorcycles, and heavy vehicles were unaffected.
In an effort to smoothen travel, immigration officers activated contra lanes and additional manual counters to manage the crowd, with special lanes opened for senior citizens, parents with children, and Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore.
Subsequently the auto gates were restored late last night, and immigration clearance has since been normalised.
It is learnt that the auto gates crashed due to a network core switch failure, which is unrelated to the immigration system, and primarily affected bus commuters.
Furthermore, the core network was reportedly installed by a third-party appointed contractor.
The republic’s Immigration and Customs Authority (ICA) had posted caution in its official Facebook page, advising that there was heavy departure traffic at Woodlands Checkpoint due to tailback from Malaysia.
“Delays are expected and travellers are advised to check traffic conditions before embarking on their journey,“ the post read.
