JB business owners see fewer Singaporeans at shops as ringgit strengthens against Singapore dollar
Year-end holidays typically bring waves of Singaporeans across the Causeway, but this December, Johor Bahru (JB) feels strangely subdued.
Business owners say the crowd has thinned noticeably since last month, and they believe the strengthening Malaysian ringgit is the main reason.
“The crowd from Singapore is missing, even on weekends,” said the owner of a café popular among Singaporeans, as quoted by Malaysia’s news site The Star.
“This is probably the worst year-end crowd we’ve seen since the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Pic courtesy of MS News reader
30% to 40% fewer Singaporeans in JB due to ringgit strength
Robin Jian, the third-generation owner of a café well-loved by Singaporeans, told The Star that the drop has been “the worst”.
“November and December have always been the busiest months for businesses here, but that doesn’t seem to be the case this time,” he said.
Mr Jian estimates that the stronger ringgit alone has led to “at least a 30% to 40% decline” in Singapore visitors.
“Currency has always been a major factor for Singaporeans, as we’ve seen in previous trends,” he said, adding that several other issues are also at play.
He cited gloomy, unpredictable weather, heavier traffic, and the rollout of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) for foreign vehicles — all of which may have discouraged cross-border trips.
Source: Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Malaysia on Facebook
“The currency is definitely one of the reasons, but other factors, especially the weather, also contributed,” said 52-year-old businessman S. Sures.
Johor typically sees monsoon rain at the end of the year, but this round has been “heavier and far more unpredictable”.
Ongoing upgrading works across the city have also added to the headaches.
“There are just too many projects happening at the same time, worsening the already heavy traffic and making parking even more difficult,” Mr Sures said.
All these factors combined created “the perfect storm”, he added, as quoted by The Star.
Source: Onn Hafiz Ghazi on Facebook
Even regular visitors notice change
A frequent visitor from Selangor told The Star that he was shocked by how quiet JB felt last weekend.
“Usually, the weekends are full of Singaporeans coming over to shop and eat out. It would be so difficult to get a parking lot, and the shelves at the supermarkets are also almost emptied out,” he said.
“But this time, it was far from that.”
Shopkeepers reportedly told him the ringgit’s stronger performance was largely behind the drop.
An MS News reader also reported that a JB mall popular among Singaporeans had a “mostly Malaysian crowd” on Saturday (6 Dec) afternoon.
Pic courtesy of MS News reader
Ringgit holds firm against Singapore Dollar
Over the past week, S$1 traded between RM3.17 and RM3.19 — compared to around RM3.30 during the same period last year, The Star reported.
This means a previously S$5 meal now costs about S$5.20.
Checks by MS News on Saturday (6 Dec) showed the exchange rate hovering around RM3.17 to S$1.
Source: Xe currency converter website
For many Singaporeans, these differences add up quickly across a full day of shopping, dining and fuelling up.
And for Johor businesses, this year-end holiday season has turned out to be one of the quietest in recent memory.
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