Ministry studying proposal for a single agency at Johor CIQ

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry (KDN) is looking into a proposal to establish a single agency to coordinate operations at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB), said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman.

He said the move was aimed at ensuring more efficient governance as there were 23 agencies in BSI and 13 agencies in KSAB from various ministries carrying out their respective operations.

“During the visit of the Home Affairs Minister in June 2018, he gave the federal government and state government a duration to coordinate on establishing a special unit for the purpose of improving operations,” he said when replying a question by Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (PKR-Johor Bahru) at Dewan Rakyat on the formula and implementation period to reduce congestion and waiting time, particularly for Malaysians who wish to go to Singapore through the CIQ in Johor.

Meanwhile, Mohd Azis said KDN gave three months to a special task force created under the state government to study comprehensive measures to overcome the congestion at the CIQ.

He said congestion at the border area was being addressed through several measures including immigration inspection for Malaysians going to Singapore which only involved passport scanning through a centralised immigration system.

However, he said congestion would also occur into the CIQ area when Singaporean authorities carry out full screening of visitors arriving from Malaysia.