Power restored at Johor Causeway checkpoint after hours-long outage causes queues, congestion
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The power outage, which was due to maintenance works, resulted in a blackout of the Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor Bahru that lasted at least 10 hours.
PHOTOS: BOTH CHECKPOINT, MALAYSIA-SINGAPORE BORDER CROSSERS/FACEBOOK
SINGAPORE – A power outage plunged the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) immigration checkpoint in Johor Bahru into darkness for at least 10 hours on Dec 5 and 6, earning the ire of Johor chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
In a Facebook post on Dec 6, Datuk Onn Hafiz said: “What happened is very troublesome for the daily users and an embarrassment for the state.”
He also posted a picture of a letter, dated Nov 27, featuring the letterhead of Malaysian electricity company Tenaga Nasional, which appeared to be a notice to expect power outages at the BSI and Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) from 8pm on Dec 5 to 4am on Dec 6, due to maintenance works.
A video posted at 11.10pm on Dec 5 by a Facebook user in the Malaysia-Singapore Border Crossers group, shows a crowded BSI that appears completely dark but for lights located at the checkpoint counters.
According to a cross-border Telegram group, power at the complex was restored progressively from around 9.20am.
The outage also affected the CIQ’s electronic gates (e-gates).
Johor works, transportation and infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh was reported by Malaysian newspaper The Star as saying that the outage was caused by the malfunction of one of seven generators at the CIQ.
In a bid to avoid a repeat of the incident, Mr Fazli said the Johor government will be replacing all seven generators at a cost of around RM800,000 (S$229,000).
It will also bring in two external power supply systems to BSI to complement the sole existing system.
“This is part of the long-term solution that we have come up with following last night’s blackout,” said Mr Fazli.
Business development executive Alyssa Yong, who travels to Singapore for work five days a week, told The Straits Times that the power was still down when she arrived at the checkpoint at 7am.
“It was very stuffy inside and I saw a lot of people U-turning back,” said Ms Yong, 25.
“The e-gates were down so we had to use the manual counters instead. The queue was long but (at least it was) moving.”
Ms Yong, who has been travelling to Singapore to work since February, said it took her about 30 minutes to get through the Johor checkpoint.
Normally, it would take her only about 10 minutes.
“This is the first time I’ve encountered a blackout at the checkpoint. I was supposed to start work at 9am but I was still on the way to work at 9.15am,” she lamented.
Many travellers turned to social media to document their experiences.
Facebook user Atiqah M. Li said “CIQ is dark like there’s a concert”, while another urged travellers “to be strong”.
The blackout appeared to have extended to the motorcycle lanes as well.
In a Facebook post at 11.14am, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority informed travellers of heavy departure traffic at Woodlands Checkpoint due to tailback from Malaysia.
Live feed camera view from Woodlands Causeway (towards Johor) at 1.45pm on Dec 6.
PHOTO: ONEMOTORING.LTA.GOV.SG
“Delays are expected and travellers are advised to check traffic conditions before embarking on their journey,” it added, advising travellers to check its Facebook page for updates.
A check of the live camera feed on the OneMotoring portal at about 12.30pm showed heavy congestion on the Causeway towards Singapore.
ST has contacted Malaysia’s Immigration Department for more information.
