JOHOR BAHRU, Feb 12 — The deployment of the Quick Response Team (QRT) at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI), here, and at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) in Iskandar Puteri, has helped reduce congestion on the Johor Causeway, especially during peak hours.
Immigration Director-General Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said 71 QRT members and officers have so far been stationed at counters for cars and buses at both checkpoints.
Prior to the deployment of QRT, about 1,400 vehicles were able to pass through immigration checks and have their documentation verified in one hour.
“After the QRT was created, we managed to process up to 2,300 vehicles within one hour, provided that the motorists do not have any issues and sufficient Touch ‘n Go balance,” he told reporters after visiting the BSI CIQ today.
As for bus passengers, Khairul Dzaimee said previously, the department took about four to five hours to clear the exit and entry counters, which have a capacity of 3,200 people at any one time.
“After the QRT was established, it took us about three hours to complete the immigration process for all 3,200 passengers. They only had to wait between 12 and 15 minutes,” he said.
Following the successful implementation of the initiative, Khairul Dzaimee said the Immigration Department would station QRT members at border checkpoints in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah and Sungai Tujuh, Sarawak, by the end of this month.
On January 20, the government announced several short-term initiatives to help reduce congestion at the country’s entry points, especially at the Johor Causeway.
Meanwhile, he said the Malaysian Immigration Department would undergo a restructuring exercise this year to improve its operations and provide more efficient and effective services.
The proposal paper regarding the restructuring exercise had already been submitted to the Home Ministry.
“Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Home Minister) fully supports this restructuring exercise because it will provide career progression and promotion opportunities for immigration officers,” Khairul Dzaimee said.
— Bernama
