Malaysia is set to initiate a trial of a QR code Immigration clearance system for Malaysians crossing into Singapore via land starting from June 1, 2024. The proof-of-concept (POC), announced by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, will be conducted over three months at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes in Johor, focusing solely on Malaysian nationals.
Initially, the trial will be implemented for motorcycles and buses, with plans to extend it to other vehicles subsequently. The objective, as outlined by Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof during a press conference on Monday, is to reduce Immigration clearance waiting times by approximately 50% at both the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB).
Accompanying the Deputy Prime Minister at the announcement were Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Mentri Besar of Johor Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Reflecting on a recent visit to the BSI CIQ, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof shared his observations in a Facebook post, where he inspected various facilities including auto gates, immigration counters, customs scanners, the MBike system, and bus lanes.
The decision to proceed with the trial follows an earlier announcement made in April by Malaysia’s State Works, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communication Committee Chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, regarding a pilot run of the QR code immigration clearance specifically for factory buses entering Singapore from Malaysia. Under this pilot, immigration officers will utilize handheld QR scanners to expedite immigration inspection.
These initiatives come in response to Singapore’s introduction of QR code immigration clearance in March 2024, allowing motorists at Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints to use QR codes instead of passports for immigration procedures.