RM168.70 mln allocation to overcome congestion at country's entry points - DPM Fadillah

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the allocation was to carry out three physical projects and provide incentives for Immigration officers of various grades on duty at the entry points.

He said the incentives involve those who are on duty at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) as well as KLIA1 and KLIA2.

"The three new projects are the addition of 77 MBIKE (automated border control system) at a cost of RM61.7 million; the upgrade and construction of new projects at KSAB amounting to RM106.99 million; as well as the construction of a covered pedestrian walkway along the Johor Causeway with estimated costs to be detailed later.

"The incentive would involve financial implication of RM7.93 million per year," he said in a statement after chairing the virtual Special Committee Meeting to Address Congestion at the Johor Causeway today.

Fadillah said the entry point incentive is aimed at safeguarding the welfare of personnel in line with the concept of compassion under the Malaysia MADANI framework.

"Further discussions will be held to fine-tune this matter with the Public Service Department for the incentives to be extended to immigration personnel in Sabah and Sarawak," he said.

He said 21 initiatives had been planned to tackle the traffic congestion at the BSI and KSAB, and 15 of them had been completed, five are still ongoing and expected to be fully completed by February 2025 while another initiative has not yet been implemented.

From January to September this year, he said the number of travellers at the two CIQ complexes had reached 98 million and it is expected to increase to around 136 million by the end of this year, matching the pre-COVID statistics in 2019.

He said, the number of travellers is expected to increase at a rate of 15 per cent per year and it is estimated that 157 million travellers will pass through the two land checkpoints between Malaysia and Singapore by 2025.

"Considering the lack of immigration staff on duty at manual counters, the auto gates will be very helpful, especially during peak hours," he added.