Normalcy restored after 24-hour autogate disruption at entry points
The disruption, which began at around noon on Friday, has been resolved, with foreigners being allowed to use the autogates in stages from 4.30pm on Saturday (July 19).
Checks at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex (BSI) showed that crowds were dispersed by midnight on Saturday.
This was a stark contrast to the thousands of foreigners queuing since the autogate system failed nationwide on Friday.
The disruption, described by officials as the worst in recent years, affected more than 200 autogate machines nationwide.
A Singaporean named Lim said he was relieved the issues had been rectified, as he was in Johor to attend a funeral.
"I saw photographs of the huge crowds on Friday (July 18) and Saturday, and it looked bad. Imagine queuing for four to five hours.
"Today (Sunday) when I entered the bus hall, everything was empty, and I cleared immigration within 20 minutes."
Another Singaporean, Salmah, was pleased that everything was back to normal at BSI.
"I was supposed to come on Saturday to visit relatives but delayed my trip after seeing the large crowd pictures in the media and online.
"I am glad there was no crowd, and immigration officers were present to ensure everything ran smoothly," she said, hoping the authorities would have a backup system in case of future failures, as many of her friends delayed their trips to Malaysia.
The Star first reported that chaos erupted at major entry points across Malaysia as tens of thousands of foreign travellers were stranded for hours following a massive nationwide failure of the autogate system on Friday.
Long queues were reported at KL International Airport and land border crossings, particularly in Johor, where many Singaporeans were caught in gridlock at BSI and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex.
Foreign passport holders were unable to clear immigration via the automated lanes, while Malaysian passport holders continued to pass through without issues.
The MyBorderPass system for Malaysians also remained functional.
At the BSI complex alone, there are 39 autogates for exits and 29 for entry, while KSAB has 12 in operation.
Even Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who made a surprise visit to the BSI complex on Saturday, expressed disappointment over the system disruption, which lasted for more than 24 hours.
Onn Hafiz added that such incidents not only inconvenience the public but also affect the image of the state and the nation.
Since June 1, 2024, visitors from 63 countries, as well as diplomats serving in Malaysia and their family members, have been eligible to use the autogates for faster clearance.
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