After offering Singaporeans access to e-gates at Johor checkpoints, Malaysian authorities are set to make immigration clearance easier for visitors from more countries at the airport.
From 1 Feb, visitors from seven countries, including Singapore, will be able to use the automated clearance gates at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
The government will also deploy two teams to assist with customs clearance and crowd control at peak hours, which will begin on the same date.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Singaporeans will be among citizens from seven countries who can use the automated clearance gates at KLIA from 1 Feb.
Malaysia’s Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced this during a monthly assembly with ministers on 27 Jan.
He stated that access to the gates would be extended to travellers from low-risk countries for convenience.
Singapore is one of the seven countries on this list, which also includes:
Long-term pass holders will also be able to use the gates, Mr Saifuddin stated.
The opening of the automated gates will help to ease the flow of visitors at the borders of Malaysia, he added.
Sin Chew Daily reports that the Immigration Department of Malaysia will set up two teams at KLIA to handle customs clearance and crowd control during peak hours.
Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Tiong King Sing, was at KLIA recently, and he found the queue for clearance to be far too long.
He urged the Home Affairs Ministry and the Immigration Department of Malaysia to take the matter seriously and address the issue as soon as possible.
A total of 23 plans are now underway to resolve the congestion problems at the land checkpoints of both Malaysia and Singapore.
This will include working with Singapore to deal with congestion on the causeway, Mr Saifuddin explained.
Several other projects have already been launched, such as arranging for auxiliary police and adding more lanes for automated clearance.
On 20 Jan, lanes with automated clearance also began operating for Singapore passport-holders at the land checkpoints in JB, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
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