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New Straits Times
23-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
JB-Singapore shuttle bus drivers end strike
JOHOR BARU: Some 100 shuttle bus drivers serving the Johor Baru-Singapore route resumed duty yesterday morning after the company agreed to reinstate their previous salary structure, ending a one-day strike that caused major disruptions for thousands of cross-border commuters. The strike was sparked by a revised pay scheme that saw drivers losing between RM800 and RM900 in monthly income. They were also required to make an additional daily trip to Singapore. Previously, they were required to make four trips back and forth between Johor Baru and Singapore. A shuttle bus driver, who wanted to be known only as Atoi, 35, said his monthly salary had previously averaged RM2,800 before the changes were implemented two months ago. "The new structure significantly reduced our earnings. We were not trying to inconvenience commuters, we just wanted our rights respected," he said. "We returned to work only after the company agreed to revert to the original pay terms." He added that the discontent among Singapore-bound shuttle bus drivers over pay cuts and additional duties had been brewing for months. "When our latest salary slips were issued a day late, it was the straw that broke the camel's back, triggering the strike by some 100 drivers," Atoi said. On Monday, the drivers had kept the bus doors shut while parked at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) bus terminal platform, where the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex is housed. The New Straits Times learnt that drivers on the Causeway route usually received higher allowances than those on the Second Link. "We used to earn between RM2,800 and RM2,900 a month. After the adjustment, some of us took home less than RM2,000. "There were also salary deductions that we do not fully understand. The system has become unfair and unclear," he said. The drivers resumed work after the bus company agreed to revert to the previous salary structure following a meeting with Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communication committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh. The strike began about 5am and triggered a massive congestion at BSI, with some workers resorting to walking across the Causeway to reach their workplaces in Singapore. Operations resumed in stages after Fazli intervened and mediated between the drivers and the company. Anwar Ahmad, 29, a Malaysian cleaner working in Singapore, said yesterday's morning commute went smoothly with no queues at the BSI bus platforms. "Monday was a nightmare. Everything returned to normal today (yesterday). Buses were on time, no delays," he said. Fazli, who is Bukit Pasir assemblyman, confirmed that the service had fully resumed. He expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved in good faith.
Rakyat Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- Rakyat Post
Singapore Shuttle Bus Drivers End Strike After Company Gives Salary Assurances
Subscribe to our FREE About 100 Singapore shuttle bus drivers resumed work on Tuesday after their company promised to announce new salary adjustments. The drivers launched a strike on Monday morning (21 July) over recent wage restructuring that reduced their monthly income by RM800 to RM900. A 35-year-old driver who identified himself only as Atoi said the strike was not meant to inconvenience passengers, but was a protest against unfair new salary and work arrangements. 'We just want our old salary and work arrangements restored,' he said, adding that drivers only wanted to defend their wage rights. The strike caused thousands of Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore to be stranded at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI), with some forced to walk across the Johor Causeway to reach their workplaces. Bus services to Singapore resumed smoothly from 5 a.m. this morning (22 July) after Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure, and Communications Committee Chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh met with the company and drivers on Monday afternoon. 1-hour long wait for a non-existent Causeway bus from Johor Bahru. Ended up walking all the way to Singapore in 30 minutes. Services Back to Normal Half of the striking drivers agreed to return to work on Monday evening after more than five hours on strike, while the rest resumed their duties this morning following company assurances of a new salary announcement. Malaysian worker Anwar Ahmad, 29, who works in Singapore's cleaning sector, observed how the shuttle bus services were fully restored on Tuesday, with no long queues at BSI, unlike the severe congestion experienced the previous morning. 'Thank God, today bus services to Singapore are back to normal and smooth, with no long lines this morning,' he said. Mohamad Fazli, who is also Bukit Pasir assemblyman, confirmed that shuttle bus services to Singapore by the local company had resumed, saying several matters were discussed and he hoped all issues could be resolved. Johor Proposes Earlier Bus Operations to Ease Congestion Meanwhile, the Johor government has proposed that Singapore shuttle bus operators at BSI start their services earlier, at 4:30 am, compared to the current schedule of 5:00 am to 5:30 am daily. Mohamad Fazli said the state government is also looking to increase bus frequency due to monthly passenger growth of 1,000 to 3,000 people based on Immigration Department statistics. However, the proposal to control bus operations will be reviewed by Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA), given that MRT services in Singapore start at 5.35 am. Following a two-hour inspection at BSI from 4:00 a.m. on Monday with the LTA and bus operators, including Handal Indah, SBS Transit, SMRT Buses, Ridewell Travel, Singapore-Johore Expressway, and Transtar Travel, Mohamad Fazli said the LTA would discuss and decide on the proposals soon. LTA informed him that Handal Indah provides 24-hour services with a minimum interval of 30 minutes during off-peak hours and nearly 150 trips during peak periods. Parts of this story have been sourced from Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
New Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Causeway-bound bus drivers go on strike over pay
JOHOR BARU: Thousands of Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore were left stranded at dawn today after about 100 bus drivers abruptly staged a strike over pay cuts. It triggered chaos at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) bus terminals and bus stops across the city heading to Singapore. The surprise boycott, which began at 5am, saw massive queues forming at BSI, with no buses available to ferry workers across the Causeway during the crucial morning rush hour. Desperate to clock in on time, many resorted to walking the 1.05km stretch from Johor Baru into Singapore on foot, dragging bags and dodging peak-hour traffic. "I arrived at 6.30am and saw a human flood queuing for buses. We were confused, only to be told the drivers had gone on strike. "I had no choice but to walk," said Munir Selamat, 34, who works at a restaurant in Singapore. The drivers' protest was reportedly triggered by a recent wage restructuring by the bus company, which slashed their monthly take-home pay from around RM2,800 to below RM2,000, despite rising living costs. A driver, who only wanted to be known as Atoi, 35, said they were also forced to accept an additional mandatory route per day, from four to five, which came without proper compensation for extra mileage and time. "The new salary scheme is unfair. It cuts deep into our earnings, and with extra trips and unclear deductions, many of us decided enough is enough," he added. Some drivers eventually resumed operations around 10.30am, but not before thousands had already been delayed or forced to find alternate means into Singapore. Johor Public Works, Transport and Infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh is currently in talks with the bus company and affected drivers to find a resolution. The New Straits Times has reached out to Causeway Link, which operates one of the largest cross-border bus services between Johor and Singapore. However, the company has yet to respond as at press time. Its services cater to thousands of daily commuters, particularly Malaysians working in the republic.
The Star
19-07-2025
- The Star
Partial e-gate operations restored at BSI and KSAB, recovery efforts ongoing
JOHOR BAHRU: Several e-gates at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) have resumed operations following a nationwide system disruption affecting entry and exit points. Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communication Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh ( pic ) said as of 6pm on Saturday (July 19), 26 out of 68 e-gates at BSI and three out of 12 at KSAB were back in service. "Traffic congestion at both CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) complexes is currently under control, based on monitoring conducted this evening," he told Bernama. Manual counters were activated to ease the congestion after the system malfunction, which began around 1 pm yesterday, he added. "The e-gate disruption is a nationwide issue and relevant agencies are actively working to resolve it at both BSI and KSAB," he said. He also confirmed that ongoing monitoring was being carried out at both complexes. The automated gate system outage affecting foreign visitors at key national entry points was reportedly caused by a data integration issue that slowed down cross-verification processes within the MyIMMS immigration system. The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) said the disruption led to long queues and congestion at several major locations, including Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminals 1 and 2, as well as at BSI and KSAB CIQs. The agency clarified that Malaysian passport holders were not affected by the disruption and that the Immigration Department has taken immediate action to address the issue. – Bernama
New Straits Times
19-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Partial autogate operations restored at Johor CIQs after nationwide glitch
JOHOR BARU: Several autogates at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) have resumed operations following a nationwide system disruption affecting entry and exit points. Johor Public Works, Transport, Infrastructure and Communication Committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said as of 6pm today, 26 out of 68 autogates at BSI and three out of 12 at KSAB were back in service. "Traffic congestion at both CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) complexes is currently under control, based on monitoring conducted this evening," he said. Manual counters were activated to ease the congestion after the system malfunction, which began around 1pm yesterday, he added. "The disruption is a nationwide issue, and relevant agencies are actively working to resolve it at both BSI and KSAB," he said. He also confirmed that ongoing monitoring is being carried out to ensure smooth traffic flow at both complexes. The automated gate system outage affecting foreign visitors at key national entry points was reportedly caused by a data integration issue that slowed down cross-verification processes within the MyIMMS immigration system. The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (MCBA) said the disruption led to long queues and congestion at several major locations, including Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminals 1 and 2, as well as at BSI and KSAB CIQs. The agency clarified that Malaysian passport holders were not affected by the disruption and that the Immigration Department has taken immediate action to address the issue. – BERNAMA
