Delay at Johor Bahru Customs and Immigration

I saw on the news that many people are complaining on the delays and long waiting time for their passports to be stamped at the Johor Bahru Customs and Immigration ( CIQ ). This is due to the new Biometric Fingerprint System that the government has implemented. Yes the delays are unavoidable due to the weekend crowd and the time needed to get the fingerprints to be scanned.

On the last weekend which I was there, the queue at the Johor Bahru's CIQ was long at all the counters. I waited for about 1.5 hours before it was my turn to get my passport stamped. The Immigration Officer stamped my passport and pasted a sticker on it and that was it. Subsequently I went to Malaysia again on a Wednesday late morning, the time it took to clear the immigration was about 30 minutes. There is no need to scan your fingerprints again once you have done it previously.

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I read in the newspapers and forums that people are complaining and swearing that they wouldl not want to step into Malaysia again due to this long queue and waiting time. I say, please be patient. Like any new system that are implemented, there will be a learning process, an adjustment and trouble shooting period needed for the system to work properly. In my view, Singapore should adopt this system as well; so that no foreigners who are barred from entering the country can come in again using a different name and passport. It is a good security system to safeguard the country against criminals and undesirable people from entering by fraudulent ways.

If you hate the long queue at the CIQ, go to Malaysia on a weekday as the queue is definitely shorter. If you still want to go there on a weekend or a public holiday, the best option is to reach the CIQ in the early morning before 7 am. Even if there is a long queue, you have already made adjustment for the time needed to clear the immigration.

New Bus Terminal at Johor Bahru Custom and Immigration - CIQ

I used to take bus from the Jalan Tun Razak bus stop which is directly opposite the City Square Mall. Now that the new bus terminal at Johor Bahru Custom and Immigration is operational, buses do not ply along Jalan Tun Razak road. I think this is a good move, as previously buses would simply parked along this road and causes traffic jams.

If you are going to KSL City Mall, then you can take the bus S1 from the JB Sentral bus terminal which is just below the Johor Bahru Immigration. There is a escalator on your left as you walked out of the immigration. Go down the escalator and you can see a small bus bay. Move towards the center of the bus bay and wait for the S1 bus to KSL City Mall. Below is a photo of the bus bay which was not crowded when I was there during the weekend afternoon. You can also take bus to many parts of Johor Bahru from here - such as Kota Tinggi and to Zon Regency Hotel.

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