Aside from occasional causeway jams, travelling to Malaysia by land is usually smooth thanks to automatic systems like autogates and e-gates.
Reducing the need for manual checks, these features improve efficiency greatly.
But the call for stricter health screenings especially for travellers amid the Covid-19 outbreak has changed that temporarily.
To ensure thorough checks, Malaysia has suspended all autogate lanes and E-gates for foreigners since yesterday (4 Mar).
While the move doesn’t stop visitors from entering Malaysia, the incoming flow will likely be affected as services slow down.
The E-gate for foreigners, or the Malaysia Automated Clearance System (MACS) provides “fast-track immigration clearance” for Singapore residents who are frequent travellers.
MACS holders don’t have to fill up the immigration arrival card, or stamp their passport pages as all entry and exit records go online.
The suspension means that they won’t get to enjoy these privileges, and have to pass through immigration the way everyone else does.
For all travellers, fingerprint scans under the National Enforcement and Registration Biometric System (NERS) will also be on hold.
This is understandably so, as the system would otherwise require hundreds of visitors to touch the scanner’s surface throughout the day.
Imagine all the germs on that.
These changes have been in effect since Wednesday (4 Mar), according to the Malaysian Immigration Authority in Johor.
Without the automated systems, checkpoint screenings will have to be done manually, which although slow, ensures rigorous attention.
Hopefully, this temporary measure will help prevent cross-border transmission of cases.
Both countries can then contain infections more effectively, and protect residents as well as visitors in Malaysia and Singapore.
Featured image adapted from iPackTravel.
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