PUBLISHED ONSeptember 14, 2023 4:30 AMByChing Shi JieSingapore must now "do its best" to ease traffic jam at the Causeway after Malaysia has done what it can to address the issue, Anwar Ibrahim said on Wednesday (Sept 13).
The Malaysian prime minister made these remarks on the sidelines of an international summit, which is part of the itinerary of his latest visit to Singapore.
Anwar praised the Malaysian immigration and customs departments for their measures to improve traffic conditions at the Causeway, The Star reported.
"The agencies have been supportive, and we see a major change," Anwar told reporters after speaking at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2023, which also featured speakers such as Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Academy Award-winning actor Ke Huy Quan.
"I was there (Johor Bahru) a few weeks ago and now Singapore needs to do its best to ease the traffic," Anwar said.
More than 1.7 million people crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints over the Polling Day long weekend from Aug 31 to Sept 4, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
This is a record high since land borders between Singapore and Malaysia reopened in 2022.
ICA managed traffic by increasing the frequency of public buses and implemented a "loop system" for Causeway Link buses, The Straits Times reported.
With the "loop system", bus drivers were able to drop off and pick up travellers at the checkpoints without having to clear immigration themselves.
The authorities also installed 25 industrial fans and 38 mobile toilets at both checkpoints.
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