Award Banner
Award Banner

'Why become like monkeys?' People scream and shove each other as massive queues form at Singapore-Malaysia checkpoints

'Why become like monkeys?' People scream and shove each other as massive queues form at Singapore-Malaysia checkpoints
Commuters push and shove as they try to get through customs, while authorities attempt to control the burgeoning crowd.
PHOTO: Screengrab/Facebook/Gugan Zizou

With the Deepavali holidays beckoning and the long weekend ahead, it appears that many have left not just Singapore behind, but also some basic human decency.

In several videos uploaded to Facebook last night (Oct 21), the packed, snaking queue to enter Malaysia from Singapore can be seen, with commuters screaming and shoving each other.

In a video shared to the Facebook group Malaysia-Singapore Border Crossers, a densely packed crowd of commuters attempted to make their way up both the escalators and stairs, rushing to clear customs after making it into Johor Bahru.

The caption of the video sarcastically read: "Happy holidays!"

Due to the high volume of people, travellers to Malaysia were packed together so tightly that they could barely move their arms.

Many were seen stumbling as others pushed their way forward, urging people to move faster.

Uniformed Malaysian immigrations personnel could also be seen in the mix, attempting to get control of the crowd.

Commented one netizen on Facebook: "You can follow instructions at the checkpoint, why become like monkeys…"

"I am Malaysian," one comment stated. "Don't let Malaysians be like orang utans!"

Wrote another: "Smart when entering Singapore, but not smart when returning to Malaysia."

As of 11am today, AsiaOne saw that the roads toward Malaysia are still very congested.

'I just need to pee'

TikTok user @buffbaby88 posted a video earlier today which showed a long queue of cars stuck in a jam towards Johor.

"I just need to pee man," she wrote on her post. "The cars have been stuck here for two hours and never moved."

The video has since been deleted.

Ho Ching, chairman of Temasek Trust, also reposted about the jam on Facebook.

Recently, crowds were drawn to money changers in Singapore as the Singdollar hit record highs against the Malaysian ringgit, which could also be a reason for the immense queue that has accumulated now.

The Immigration Checkpoint Authority (ICA) posted a travel advisory for this Deepavali holiday earlier this week, saying that the traffic flow through Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints has returned to approximately 80 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels with about 325,000 travellers clearing through both checkpoints per day over the recent weekend (Oct 14 to 16).

"At peak periods, the volume has reached pre-Covid levels," the agency said. 

It added that in 2019, a similar long weekend for Deepavali meant that travellers had to wait up to two hours before being cleared through immigration.

"Travellers should expect delays and are advised to adjust their travel plans, where possible, to avoid being caught in traffic congestion," the advisory states.

"We seek travellers' understanding and co-operation to be patient, observe traffic rules, maintain lane discipline, and co-operate with officers on-site when using the land checkpoints."

ALSO READ: Weak ringgit draws crowds to money changers before long weekend

khooyihang@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.