Travelling Between S'pore and Malaysia / JB

deaf4ever

Nov 7, 2005
Security is fine, but jams are in other areas

I REMAIN confused about the cause of traffic jams at the Causeway, despite the clarification by Mr Chia Wei Kiang of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).



Mr Chia focused on checkpoint security, and I agree this should not be compromised in any way.

However, I often travel to Johor for leisure, and I find jams at the Causeway form frequently in the passport checkpoint area, not in the security checkpoint area.

Although I am sure checking passports is part of the overall security clearance process, how is it that with more than a dozen lanes open at any time, one still gets stuck in a 'passport' jam?

On the other hand, in the security checkpoint area, there are usually fewer lanes open, and there is seldom a jam there.

Is this not perplexing, as Mr Chia himself explained Singapore's emphasis on security, and the latest devices to prevent vehicles dashing through to Singapore?

Granted that passports are part of security, can the ICA explain the relative weight (passports versus physical checks) so the public can understand better the need to wait in the passport area?

Finally, as most of the cars in the jam are Singapore cars with Singaporean drivers and passengers, why do we have to wait so long to clear our Singapore passports, which are issued by the ICA itself?

Samuel Owen

deaf4ever

Security barriers actually more hazardous?

I WOULD like to comment on the letter by Mr Chia Wei Kiang of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) ('Jams at checkpoints? Security must come first; ST, Oct 31).

The daily congestion at the Causeway is, in fact, a cause of concern from a security standpoint.

With so many cars lined up, it would be easy for a bomber to load a closed van with drums of flammable liquid and blow it up.

The flammable liquid would surely consume the cars lined up nearby, and many lives would be lost.

The ICA is concerned with terrorists crashing their way into Singapore so it puts up more barriers to slow traffic into Singapore. But there is no need for this.

A bomb at the Causeway would kill or injure as many people and cause as much pandemonium in Singapore.

There is no reason why the ICA cannot deploy more staff, open more lanes and keep the lanes with fewer cars waiting.

We spent millions of dollars building the new checkpoint.

Frankly, the line of cars in the queue is no different from what it was with the old building.

Ronald Ho

deaf4ever

Nov 7, 2005
Security issue is starting to sound like an excuse to cover up ICA's inefficiency

I am writing in response to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's feeble explanation of the traffic jams at Woodlands Checkpoint (ST Oct 31).  
Security issue is starting to sound like an excuse to cover up ICA's inefficiency

If our national security is truly the reason for the unavoidable congestion at this checkpoint, could the ICA care to explain why is there this constant morning traffic jam for cars leaving Singapore for Malaysia when no security checks are required?

The only check done is on our petrol gauge by this lone officer on behalf of the oil companies of Singapore.

While it's accepted that morning peak hour traffic is usually heavy, I can't fathom the ICA's response to the jams when it operates at only 30 per cent capacity.

The immigration clearance has no less than 40 booths but during morning peak hours, no more than twelve booths are in operation. This creates a tailback of cars up to half a kilometre or more. Here lies the root cause of the congestion.

While all of us are in total agreement that inconveniences due to security checks are necessary, the security issue is beginning to sound more like an excuse for ICA's inefficiencies and unwillngness to face up to the problems.

If understaffing is the main reason, why not employ more staff to man the booths? If not enough people are attracted to the jobs, why not pay them more and give them better benefits?

If pay is not the issue and it's the monotony of the job, why not train the staff to do office work as well as passport checks? This would improve their job enhancement and ICA can deploy its staff more productively. Multitasking is the norm these days.

It's mind-blowing to see this godzilla-of-a-building at Woodlands Checkpoint while the situation on the ground is pathetic, almost Third World.

The unmentionable amount of money spent on this monstrous building could have been better used to employ hundreds of staff for years to better manage and secure our checkpoints. Surely ICA's solution is not to raise Woodlands's toll to pay for its mistakes.

It's ironic that toll charges for the under-utilized Tuas Checkpoint have been on the rise. Shouldn't it be the other way round to encourage users to use Tuas instead so as to ease Woodlands' congestion?

I remain dumbfounded.

Pat Gan

deaf4ever

Nov 7, 2005
ICA can do much better to solve traffic jams at checkpoint

I refer to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's reply to readers' complaints about traffic jams at the entry points and I am utterly disappointed by its stand.

  
I won't go into the specifics as fellow readers have already dealt with them on numerous occasions. Let's deal with common sense.

Let me ask the ICA whether it makes sense to:

1. Have three to six car entry lanes and then have them narrowed to one (with obstacles) at the end?

2. Slow down the process of scrutinising goods vehicles with so limited resources?

3. Have all the security measures in place everyday regardless of whether the security threat level is up or down?

4. Open every car boot when some of the occupants are obviously returning Singaporean golfers and families with young children?

It seems to me that the ICA has failed to understand the magnitude of the problem. It should have considered the following measures:

1. Install more cat claws and crash barriers at the egress and have more egress lanes. You can still slow down the vehicle but you process more of them at one time. Close some of them when the threat level moves up.

2. Have more vehicle X-ray machines to help scrutinise goods vehicles speedily. You just can't do with one or two of them. We Singaporeans are unwittingly paying more for our goods as a result of this delay. We are loosing more transshipments as a result of our own over-zealous attitude.

3. Rebuild or reorientate the whole traffic flow. Slowing it down to a crawl does not mean you can have better security. How can the ICA cope if there is a fireball caused by overheated cars in the queue?

It'll be worse if a bomb is planted in one vehicle with the objective of collateral damage and big loss of lives. Can the ICA not seek help from some of the best security consultants (not vendors) in the world, in Singapore?

4. Hire more staff to handle the enormous volume of traffic. I am sure that apart from the 90,000 motorcyclists they process each day, the ICA must have other statistics to justify its need for more staff.

The ICA is not a profit centre and should never think like one. It should serve the needs of Singapore citizens in the most efficient manner.

Come on ICA, you can do better than that. Outsource the whole thing if you insist that there's nothing else you can do. I am sure the private sector (not Government-linked companies) can do much better as evident in other countries.

May I suggest that one of our senior government officials or the Home Affairs Minister travel through this nightmare to really understand the problems of our citizens?

Hwang Liang Keng

deaf4ever

Nov 7, 2005
Admit it. ICA fails to use resources properly

The reply from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) 'Jams at checkpoints? Security must come first' (ST Oct 31) evades the crux of the issue.

  
No one including my letters to the ICA is disputing or against the fact that security must be given top priority. The ICA need not compromise security and it can step up the stringent checks, as explained in the reply.

Even if a fee is charged for enhanced security like in the airport, people generally do not have any objection. The cat claws, crash barriers etc. are welcomed but what the ICA fails to accept or give a clear explanation is the efficient deployment of its resources.

I have been in the queue many times all the way back in Johore Bahru only to find later that three or four immigration booths were in operation in each of zones one and two. Then it was smooth driving up to the Customs checkpoint.

The reverse has also occurred frequently when the immigration has more booths opened but there are not enough Custom's officers. Officers on duty had apologized to me saying that there was a shortage of staff.

If this is factually correct, then the ICA should admit this and seriously look into it instead of evading the issue with other excuses or explanations.

Our security, economy and relationship with our Johore neighbour are at stake.

Tan Tuan Khoon

deaf4ever

tapi ni smua untuk orang2 biasa je la..

Aku kalo nengok Sultan Johor, vrroommm

Siap pakai lane bas lagik...   then aku tunggu dia lambai2 kat orang2 kat bus stop tu kan? smua nak naik bas balik lepas clear Spore Custom, tapi dia pandang lain lak.. Dia slalu lambai2 apa kat rakyat Johor tepi jalan

aku nak baca the authorities punya reply....

any idea what is the exchange rate ? kat papers on saturday 12.11.2005 dia kata ringgitt is weak .....tadi check kat asia1 it eas around S$100=RM222

deaf4ever

Originally posted by matz_rockz at 13-11-2005 07:38 AM
any idea what is the exchange rate ? kat papers on saturday 12.11.2005 dia kata ringgitt is weak .....tadi check kat asia1 it eas around S$100=RM222

aku gi hari selasa lepas, 221.5. satu kedai je 221.6 kat merlin tower

deaf4ever

tu hari aku gi hari selasa petang kan..

so korang tau jembatan yang link merlin tower ngan city square kan?

kat situ ada amoi ngah pakai henpon, then ada orang lelaki ni pegi snatch and run away..

tapi nasib baik la ye, orang ni dah la pencurik KNN tapi tak plan getaway, dia gi turun tangga arah Merlin Towers tempat pakcik2 apek2 lepak petang2 tu...terus kena tangkap la.. orang cakap budak tu Sarawak..

So korang baik2 la, brigde tu ngan bridge dari city sq pegi stesen KTM ada keras sikit, pasal lepas rompak nak lari senang.
Especially orang2 KNN anak haram pencurik **** ni semua fikir people pass by kat situ keluar masuk Spore so banyak duit and ada henpon.  Ni cam nye orang, buang je dari jembatan pegi jalanraya kat bawah, biar kena lenggek sampai penyek.nf:nf:nf:

Originally posted by deaf4ever at 13-11-2005 07:51 AM
tu hari aku gi hari selasa petang kan..

so korang tau jembatan yang link merlin tower ngan city square kan?

kat situ ada amoi ngah pakai henpon, then ada orang lelaki ni pegi snatch and run a ...

pencurik kena keropok ngan public ???

deaf4ever

Originally posted by matz_rockz at 13-11-2005 09:14 AM



pencurik kena keropok ngan public ???

panggil polis kot? tapi tak keropok la..

kesian sey aku kalo sapa2 kena samun, nak apa2 mintak, orang bleh kasi, jangan curik.

tig_cun

kalau org tu kena keropok padan ngan muka dia.... biasa chinese kat situ jarang bagi can.. bawak tepi blasah!! pas tu baru anta pi polis....

deaf4ever

Originally posted by tig_cun at 13-11-2005 06:26 PM
kalau org tu kena keropok padan ngan muka dia.... biasa chinese kat situ jarang bagi can.. bawak tepi blasah!! pas tu baru anta pi polis....

geram betul la aku ngan orang2 pencurik ni..
tak baik tau, orang lain keja cam nak mampos, especially malaysians ulang alik spore
dia saja2 je samun.

Ni cam nye orang, kena torture sadist2 aku nengok aku tepok tangan sorak2 buat kallang wave siot nf:

tig_cun

hahaha... betul dep.. aku agree ngan ko... macam member aku handbag kena ragut... kat town tu la.. dengan passport dia... dengan duit gaji baru dikeluarkan... hishh... menangis dia kat tepi jalan....

Paradox11

slow ke? pada aku laju je singapore checkpoint tu banding dengan yg belah msia punya. belah mesia tu banyak mesin autogate yg tak berfungsi macam white elephant. hari tu ada pampang dlm paper chinese tourist ke taiwan yg stuck kat jb 3 jam sebab checkpoint dia cuma buka dua tiga counter. duhhhhh. staf lain mana? minum kopi? patutlah chinese tourist tak nak singgah mesia lagi.

may be nak ka JB next week...nak beli groceries....

deaf4ever

Originally posted by tig_cun at 13-11-2005 11:31 PM
hahaha... betul dep.. aku agree ngan ko... macam member aku handbag kena ragut... kat town tu la.. dengan passport dia... dengan duit gaji baru dikeluarkan... hishh... menangis dia kat tepi jalan....

tak slamat orang2 cam gini..:agr:



kesian kawan ko, susah ah, paspot , work permit , dokumen smua nak buat baru..

deaf4ever

Originally posted by Paradox11 at 14-11-2005 07:14 AM
slow ke? pada aku laju je singapore checkpoint tu banding dengan yg belah msia punya. belah mesia tu banyak mesin autogate yg tak berfungsi macam white elephant. hari tu ada pampang dlm paper chine ...

pada aku immigresen Johor dah banyak improvement dari few years back..

ni pada aku je la, sebagai pengguna publik transport.

i told my mum...kalo orang nak rampas beg,don't resist and struggle....just give them what they want....duit boleh kita carik....asalkan dorang tak cederakan badan....

[ Last edited by matz_rockz at 14-11-2005 09:40 AM ]