Malaysia, Singapore fine-tuning RTS Link co-located facility SOPs, says Saifuddin
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The RTS Link, which connects Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru to Woodlands North in Singapore, is expected to ease congestion along the Causeway once operations begin.
ST PHOTO: ANNABELLE LIANG
JOHOR BAHRU - Malaysia and Singapore are refining standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the co-located facilities at the Bukit Chagar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex for the RTS Link, said Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said the co-located concept was a unique arrangement agreed upon by both countries, allowing Singapore enforcement agencies to operate in Malaysia while Malaysian enforcement agencies would also operate within Singapore’s territory.
“The approach we have agreed on is the co-located concept, which means we will place Singapore enforcement agencies here, while our agencies will be stationed in Woodlands within the same facility.
“They will carry out immigration inspections, security duties, incident management, operational communications and emergency response. All of these need to be coordinated,” he told reporters during a working visit to the Bukit Chagar CIQ Complex on May 8.
He said both countries were giving special focus to refining the SOPs to ensure operations at the co-located CIQ facilities would run smoothly, systematically and safely.
The RTS Link, which connects Bukit Chagar in Johor Baru to Woodlands North in Singapore, is expected to ease congestion along the Causeway once operations begin.
He said the co-located concept would also help streamline border clearance procedures for passengers by allowing travellers to complete immigration checks for both countries within a single facility.
“To enable Singapore enforcement agencies to operate within our territory and our enforcement agencies to operate within Singapore’s territory, there is a need to establish domestic laws first,” he noted.
He said that for Malaysia, the Johor Bahru-Singapore RTS Link Bill 2026 has been passed and is now in the gazettement process.
He added that the discussions between both countries reflected mutual recognition that the new border entry facility involved not only physical infrastructure and systems, but also legal and regulatory coordination. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
