![[UPDATED] Autogate failure at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar CIQ disrupts 380,000 travellers' movement](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2FMCBA_20.07.2025_NSTfield_image_socialmedia.var_1752988892.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
[UPDATED] Autogate failure at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar CIQ disrupts 380,000 travellers' movement
Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the figure only referred to the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) in Johor.
However, Shuhaily did not disclose the number of affected travellers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminals 1 and 2, or at the CIQ Complex at Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB).
He said there were about 200,000 inbound and outbound tourists at BSI on July 18, and about 180,000 yesterday.
"We deeply regret what has happened.
"What occurred was not a breakdown of the MyIMMS system, which is supposed to be integrated with an international security system, but rather a connectivity issue. This caused delays in the screening process and resulted in long queues of visitors.
"I was informed that records show about 380,000 visitors were affected by this.
"On behalf of the MCBA and the Immigration Department, we apologise for what has happened, and we will do our best to ensure this does not happen again," he said at a press conference today.
He assured that the agency is working hard to prevent a recurrence.
Addressing the issue over the past two days, Shuhaily said all available personnel were deployed yesterday to facilitate the entry of travellers into the country amid the autogate failure.
"I want to stress that no Malaysian citizens were involved in the delays, only foreigners entering or leaving Malaysia were affected.
"Yesterday was a public holiday, and as everyone knows, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are peak periods, especially when foreign workers in Singapore would travel to Johor to shop or spend time there, that's why the crowd was so large yesterday.
"As we speak now, the autogates are already up and running," he said.
As of 10pm yesterday, 68 autogates at BSI were already operational, while four were functioning at KSAB.
At KLIA, 36 autogates are fully operational.
He added that one of the measures they have taken, and will continue to take in the event of a recurrence, is to inform travellers of any autogate issues in advance so they can plan their journeys accordingly or postpone their trips to another day.
Yesterday, MCBA, in a statement, had said it has taken immediate measures to address the congestion at the country's main entry points since yesterday.
All manual counters have been fully activated, and additional personnel have been deployed to manage the flow of visitors and control the queues as efficiently as possible.
This follows a technical disruption affecting the autogate system used by foreign visitors at the country's main entry points, which has led to congestion and long queues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
6 hours ago
- Barnama
Malaysia-Thailand Border Area Boat Race Can Spur local Economy
PASIR MAS, July 20 (Bernama) -- The proposal to organise a boat race competition between Malaysia and Thailand at Sungai Golok is not only expected to revive a traditional sport shared by both countries, but also serve as a catalyst for economic and tourism growth in the border area. Kelantan Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamaruddin Md Nor said the initiative has the potential to provide benefits to small traders, homestay operators and tourism services providers around Pasir Mas and areas bordering Sungai Golok. "We feel that events like this can revive the local economy because travellers will come not just to watch the boat race, but also to sample the traditional food, stay in local hotels or homestays and purchase handicrafts,' he told reporters while attending the trial boat race at Sungai Golok (Malaysian side) here today. He added that the proposed location (for the boat race) - the Pohon Jambu base - is already known as a focal point for Malaysian and Thai communities, and its selection is expected to have a direct impact on the economic activities of nearby residents. "This place is beautiful and suitable for such an event because the river is not too wide and already has basic facilities. We also receive good cooperation from the Sungai Golok authorities,' he said. He added that discussions would be held to organise it on a larger scale by involving more teams from Kelantan and Thailand's Narathiwat province, so that it can be turned into an annual affair. Besides the main competition, a unique event being planned is a blindfolded boat race, which could add value and attract more visitors from both countries. This year's trial race, held over two days on July 19 and 20, features 40 teams, including five from Malaysia, attracting an estimated 1,000 spectators. Such events not only help preserve cultural heritage, but also play a significant role in revitalising the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism activities in the border area.
Borneo Post
10 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Disruption of autogate system
The automatic gate system disruption was reported to have occurred last Friday and persisted until yesterday evening. – Bernama photo SEPANG (July 20): No signs of sabotage or cyberattack have been detected as the cause of the disruption of the automatic gate system for foreign visitors, said Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain. He said the issue is believed to have stemmed from a disruption in data integration between the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) and the security database of an international enforcement agency, which in turn, slowed down the cross-checking process. 'So far, we have not detected any indication of a cyberattack. Let us carry out a thorough investigation to determine the actual cause,' he told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 today. Mohd Shuhaily said all automatic gate systems for foreign visitors that were previously affected were now fully operational. He apologised for any inconvenience caused by the disruption of the system and assured the public that steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence. The automatic gate system disruption was reported to have occurred last Friday and persisted until yesterday evening. As a result, congestion and long queues were observed at several key entry points, including KLIA Terminals 1 and 2, as well as the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) in Johor. In response, the AKPS implemented mitigation measures to ease the flow of visitors, which included activating all manual counters and deploying additional personnel at the affected checkpoints. Meanwhile, a survey by Bernama at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex (CIQ) in Johor found that entry and exit traffic was moving smoothly today, with no signs of congestion, unlike the previous day due to a disruption to two e-gate systems that began on Friday. Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communications Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, when contacted, confirmed that the e-gate systems were fully restored as of 10 pm yesterday. Meanwhile, Singaporean Narziah Shakor, 55, shared her experience, saying the disruption had caused significant inconvenience for many travellers, some of whom were left standing in long queues for hours. Narziah, who lives in Bedok, said her son had advised her not to travel to Johor yesterday due to widespread reports of severe congestion, which left many stranded for over three hours. 'Alhamdulillah, everything is back to normal today, and the process is smooth. But yesterday was quite bad…many people had to stand for three to four hours,' said the Singapore-based civil servant. – Bernama
The Sun
11 hours ago
- The Sun
Autogate system disruption at KLIA not due to cyberattack
SEPANG: No signs of sabotage or cyberattack were detected following the disruption of the automatic gate system for foreign visitors, according to Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain. He explained that the issue likely stemmed from a disruption in data integration between the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs) and the security database of an international enforcement agency, slowing down cross-checking procedures. 'So far, we have not detected any indication of a cyberattack. Let us carry out a thorough investigation to determine the actual cause,' he said during a press conference at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1. Mohd Shuhaily confirmed that all affected autogates for foreign visitors are now fully operational. He apologised for the inconvenience caused and assured the public that preventive measures are being taken to avoid future disruptions. The system malfunction, which began last Friday and lasted until yesterday evening, caused congestion at major entry points, including KLIA Terminals 1 and 2, as well as the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) Complexes at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) in Johor. To manage the situation, AKPS activated all manual counters and deployed additional personnel to ease visitor flow. - Bernama
