MALAYSIA: Motorbike lanes at two major land border crossings in Johor, Malaysia, leading into Singapore were hit by severe congestion yesterday (19 Nov) and again this morning (20 Nov), following intensified enforcement by Malaysian authorities after a recent incident involving suspected illegal border crossings by motorcyclists.
According to China Press, the motorcycle queue at the Sultan Iskandar Building (CIQ) in Johor Bahru stretched all the way to the Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road early this morning. Over at the Sultan Abu Bakar Building on the Second Link, long lines of motorcycles were also reported.
Beginning around 6am, social media was flooded with photos and videos uploaded by commuters stuck at the checkpoints. The posts showed dense gridlock at the motorcycle lanes, with some users claiming that certain riders “squeezed” into bus and car lanes in an attempt to move ahead—resulting in all lanes becoming obstructed.
Some netizens urged riders to show more consideration. “Everyone has to go to work. Just now, a bus accidentally bumped into a motorcycle and the rider scolded it. It was wrong of them, yet they still think they’re right?” one commuter complained. Another attributed the congestion to queue-cutting and a lack of courtesy among certain riders, while someone else likened the flow of motorcycles to “flowing water,” filling every available gap.
The congestion comes just days after an incident on Tuesday (18 Nov), when a video posted on the Facebook page “Johor-Singapore Both Checkpoint Sharing Station” showed a motorcycle clearance counter at the Johor checkpoint temporarily closed off with a cone. Several motorcyclists were filmed moving the cone and riding through the lane despite the closure. Others followed, raising suspicions of a coordinated attempt to bypass checks illegally.
In the aftermath of the video, authorities in Johor Bahru reportedly stepped up enforcement starting yesterday. The tighter checks are believed by some Malaysians to be the main reason behind the heavy delays seen at both land checkpoints over the past two days.
Beyond the traffic chaos, residents living near the Sultan Iskandar Building also took to social media to voice frustration about extended bouts of horn honking from motorcycles waiting to enter the checkpoint, saying the noise disrupted their sleep. While some users sympathised with the complaints, others responded with humour, with one commenter joking that honking “really could relieve congestion,” while another said their ears felt like they were about to “explode” each time they passed through customs, prompting them to wear earplugs.
