Tens of thousands of foreign travelers are experiencing significant delays at land checkpoints with Singapore following a widespread technical failure of immigration autogates on Saturday, January 10th. The disruption is impacting both the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs Immigration and Quarantine Complex (BSI) and the Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
Immigration System Failure Causes Major Delays
The BSI complex is the most severely affected, with foreigners reporting wait times of up to two hours to clear immigration. A total of 39 autogates at the entry point and 29 at the exit point within the bus halls at BSI are currently offline. The autogates at the KTM train station at BSI are also experiencing issues.
While the autogate system remains functional for Malaysians traveling with their local passports, and for motorcycles and cars, the failure is causing substantial congestion for foreign nationals. At KSAB, which has 12 autogates, the situation is currently described as “manageable.”
Response and Potential Next Steps
The Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) has directed personnel to open all manual immigration counters to process the increased volume of travelers. AKPS is also preparing an official notification to inform visitors about the disruption and advise them to anticipate delays.
This incident marks the first major disruption of the year. A similar system failure occurred in July of last year, impacting over 380,000 foreigners across major checkpoints nationwide. It is possible that repair efforts will continue in stages, and the full restoration of the autogate system could take an undetermined amount of time. Further disruptions are possible until the underlying technical issues are resolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is causing the delays?
The delays are a result of a major technical glitch that has knocked out most of the immigration autogates at the BSI and KSAB checkpoints.
Are all travelers affected?
Malaysians using their local passports, as well as travelers arriving by motorcycle or car, are not affected. The disruption primarily impacts foreign nationals who rely on the autogate system.
What is being done to address the situation?
The Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) has opened all manual counters and is preparing a notification to inform travelers about the delays.
As border crossings remain congested, how might these delays impact travel plans for those visiting Malaysia?
