JOHOR BARU: It is one of the busiest checkpoints in the country but those using the Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Building are complaining that many of its facilities are old and need urgent upgrading.

       They feel that the escalators, immigration autogates and security at and around the complex here need sprucing up now that the international borders have reopened.

       For Malaysian Naz Hasfar, 31, who has been working in Singapore for the past eight years, Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) should be upgraded.

       He said many escalators have been “under maintenance” for more than a year already.

       “Our borders opened in April but the repair work is still ongoing.

       “I use this checkpoint daily and know that much of the repair work has been going on since last year. When is it going to end?” he said.

       He also said the immigration autogates were always down and lanes closed, especially during peak hours in the morning and evening.

       “Because of the breakdowns and problems at the autogates, I always use the manual counters and ask the Immigration officers to scan my passport,” he said, adding that this was a stark contrast to the Singapore side with its newly installed autogates for faster clearance, especially for those with work permits.

       Tan Chee Ming, 44, who also commutes daily to Singapore via public bus, said it was embarrassing for BSI to have all these facility issues.

       “It is written on the board that this is a federal project under the Public Works Department.

       “Those walking in from JB Sentral will need to trudge up or down at least 100 steps of staircase daily. This is so tiring. What about the elderly and those with luggage?

       “There are only two lifts inside the CIQ building and people have to shove each other to use them during peak hours,” he said.

       Commending Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi on his recent spot check of the complex, Tan said more of such checks are needed, especially during peak hours and weekends when traffic increase significantly.

       He said he hopes more Immigration personnel will man all the counters, during peak hours in particular.

       S. Thiruvarashan, 24, who works as a welder in Singapore, said he hopes more security personnel will be stationed around BSI, pointing out there are many vagrants loitering there and sleeping along the corridors at night.

       “Tourists or visitors coming into our country will be shocked to find these people hanging around the area with some openly exposing themselves,” he said.

       He also observed that the bus station for feeder buses at BSI was riddled with potholes.

       Thiruvarashan suggested that the authorities resume the daily train service between Malaysia and Singapore as it was only a five-minute journey between both checkpoints.

       “They are allowing all vehicles including public transport. Why not restart the hourly train service, which was so popular in the past?” he added.

       After his spot check recently, the Johor Mentri Besar posted a video, saying that he had heard the people’s complaints and would look into them.

       The Home Ministry manages BSI and prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Immigration Department was the largest agency at BSI with over 1,400 personnel.

       However, many have been redeployed.