KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will soon allow more foreign e-passport holders from low-risk countries to use the electronic gate (e-gate) facility at the Sultan Iskandar (BSI) checkpoint in Johor, beginning with Singapore today.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who witnessed the first day of e-gate operations for Singapore passport holders this morning, said the automated immigration processing will benefit some 30,000 to 50,000 citizens of the republic who commute between the island and Johor for social reasons.
“The Immigration Department also plans to extend the use of the e-gate (at the BSI) to passport holders from low-risk category countries, including Brunei, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Japan,” Saifuddin said in a statement today.
He did not specify when this would happen for other countries.
For Singapore nationals to use the e-gate at BSI, they must hold an e-passport that is valid for at least three months, and must have submitted the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card online three days before entering Johor.
If using the e-gate for the first time, they need to do a one-off record of their biometric details with Malaysian Immigration.
Saifudin said a similar e-gate facility had been in use for long-term social visit pass holders at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport since November 15.
As of January 16, he said the e-gate at KLIA recorded 12,162 entries and exits by social visit pass holders.
His statement today followed his visit to watch the launch of the e-gate at BSI and to monitor traffic flow at the checkpoint.
The minister then attended a meeting between home ministry officials and other ministries such as the health, works, transport, agriculture and food industry ministries, the police, as well as various government departments.
Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi and International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong also attended the meeting.
In a related matter on border controls, Saifuddin said a single border agency (SBA) to take charge of all entry and exit points will be launched in January 2024.
The SBA which was mooted by the cabinet in July 2021 will bring all relevant agencies and ministries under one roof to manage border checkpoint issues like traffic congestion, inspection of goods, quarantine, health checks and disease, pharmaceutical and security control.
Saifuddin said the SBA was currently being implemented in stages. – The Vibes, January 20, 2023
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