Malaysia introduces QR Code immigration clearance system on factory buses at Johor land crossings

Malaysia is set to pilot a new QR Code Immigration Clearance System aimed at streamlining border crossings for factory workers travelling daily between Malaysia and Singapore.

Starting in June, the trial will involve immigration officers boarding factory buses equipped with handheld QR scanners to conduct immigration inspections using a QR code system.

Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, the State Works, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communication Committee Chairman, announced the innovative trial to Malaysian media.

He explained that passengers must generate and present a QR code for the officers to scan during their commute on the buses, known locally as “bas kilangs.”

This pilot specifically targets Malaysian citizens who are commuting to Singapore.

However,  travellers are still required to bring their passports as the QR code systems for Malaysia and Singapore currently function differently.

On average, 400 to 500 of these buses traverse the Johor-Singapore land checkpoints daily, transporting workers to various factories and industrial zones.

Fazli noted that the Home Ministry approved this “officers-on-board” approach for the trial phase before considering broader implementation at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) in Johor Baru and the SecondLink Komplex Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) in Gelang Patah.

Discussions to refine the system’s implementation are ongoing, with efforts focusing on the “polishing up” and “tightening” stages, according to Fazli.

He also revealed that the Malaysia Cross Border Agency (MCBA) has been involved in the QR system implementation committee.

This initiative follows the launch by the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) of a QR code system for car travellers at the Woodlands and Tuas borders on 19 March 2024, which permits the use of QR codes as an alternative to passports for immigration clearance.

The QR Code system will initially be deployed in Johor, marking it as the first Malaysian state to use this technology at its international checkpoints.

Johor Immigration Department director Baharuddin Tahir noted in March that the daily number of travellers at both the Sultan Iskandar Building and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex checkpoints currently ranges from 430,000 to 450,000.