Jams at Causeway ahead of Malaysia's stricter travel curbs

There was a frantic rush at the Causeway well into the night yesterday as drivers, riders and pedestrians scrambled to beat the two-week lockdown imposed by the Malaysian authorities from today.

News of the tough border controls sparked a mass exodus of Malaysian workers from Singapore to Johor Baru to collect their belongings and clothes, and then rush back here so they could continue in their jobs.

Last night, even as traffic eased somewhat on Singapore roads in the direction of the Causeway, congestion on the Malaysian side heading into Singapore remained heavy, with some motorists taking more than three hours to make the crossing.

Throughout the day, roads to the Woodlands Checkpoint were gridlocked, stretching several hundred metres down the ramp, although traffic had eased by 5.30pm.

Mr Didi Iskandar was relieved to have dodged the chaos.

The 27-year-old Malaysian cleaner was told by his bosses at 8am yesterday to go home to collect his belongings for a two-week hotel stay in Singapore so he could continue working at his firm, which is based in Changi North.

He made it back to Singapore by 1.30pm.

"I was lucky not to be caught in a long jam," said Mr Didi, who was taking a break by the roadside under the sweltering sun. He was carrying a big haversack, and plastic bags of biscuits and snacks were tied to his motorcycle handlebar.

He said his firm will pay for his accommodation and give him an allowance of up to $200 for his two-week stay in Singapore.

"By now, those who are driving towards Johor will be queuing up with other Malaysian workers who have finished the morning shift," he added.

There was a steady flow of Malaysia-registered motorcycles exiting the Woodlands Checkpoint into Singapore between 1pm and 4pm yesterday. Most riders carried haversacks, while some balanced large bags and even mini suitcases on their motorcycles.

Malaysian Eileen Teo, who had just arrived from JB, said immigration counters there had put up notices of the lockdown.

The 29-year-old clerk was caught in a jam for two hours as her bus slowly inched towards the Woodlands Checkpoint.

"I have collected belongings for my husband, who also works in Singapore," said Madam Teo.

"I am lucky I have relatives I can stay with in Singapore. My other colleagues, who are on holiday in Malaysia, have decided to take 14 days' leave without pay."

Yesterday afternoon, The Straits Times observed an endless stream of travellers walking hurriedly towards the Woodlands Checkpoint to leave Singapore. Similarly, in the opposite direction, hundreds of travellers were arriving from JB with luggage in tow.

While some Malaysians can afford not to work for the next two weeks, money is still a major consideration for aerospace technician M. Nirmalan, 31.

He was upset his firm had told its Malaysian staff to go home only at about 1.40pm. When The Straits Times spoke to him at 3pm, he was still waiting to take a train to JB.

"Nothing is confirmed. We are not sure where we will be staying or if we will be compensated," he said.

"I know I cannot afford to forgo my $150-a-day wage."

To make matters worse, he will not be able to see his wife and four-year-old son for more than three weeks as he had sent them back to his family's home in Kedah last week.

But Malaysians were not the only ones worried about the travel curbs. Singaporean Kevin Tay, 29, who runs a customised clothing and apparel business in Woodlands, has been making fortnightly "business runs to Johor Baru with partners".

"Our production factory is in Malaysia and because businesses there cannot open (after March 17), they are unable to work on our orders," he said. "I feel the announcement and information given was incomplete and the time given to react was too short."

Mr Didi told ST that vehicles in JB were queueing from Danga City Mall and the Stulang Darat areas, with some roads leading to the Malaysian immigration booths cordoned off.

Mr Hayden Lak, creator of mobile app Beat The Jam which monitors traffic at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints, said the number of vehicles heading into Singapore at both checkpoints yesterday was higher by about two to three times compared with Monday.

He said: "Typically, traffic should be high as it is the school holidays, but since Covid-19, traffic has decreased significantly. Today's congestion was definitely caused by the news of Malaysia's lockdown."