JOHOR BARU: The Johor Causeway recorded an unusual entry volume involving private vehicles from midnight until about 4am this morning.
Checks via closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the Woodlands area showed a sharp increase in the number of private vehicles entering the Causeway following the reopening of the Malaysia-Singapore border at 12.01am.
Rows of vehicles were seen queuing up since 10.30pm last night causing congestion along the route, a first, since the border closure on March 18, 2020.
Fajrul Rizal Abu Baka, a construction site supervisor in Singapore said Malaysians working in the republic somewhat missed the congestion as was the usual situation before Covid-19 pandemic hit.
The 28-year-old said before Covid-19, many Malaysian workers, including himself, often complained of having to go through the daily congestion when going to work early in the morning and upon return to Johor Baru in the evening.
"However, when we were stranded in Singapore for more than two years, we kind of missed those moments.
"When the border reopened, accompanied by thousands of vehicles at 10.30pm, leading to congestion on routes heading to Checkpoint Woodlands to cross the Johor Causeway, we were very grateful.
"We are more than willing to be stuck in severe traffic jams at the Johor Causeway than to be separated from our loved ones for many years," he said.
Fajrul Rizal said many Malaysians from Singapore who walked across the Johor Causeway had started queuing to get across as early as 9.30pm last night.
"We were only released by the Singapore authorities to cross the Johor Causeway at 10.50pm before arriving for inspection at the Johor Baru Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex at 11.30pm last night.
"It's amazing to be able to line up and walk in groups after two years of being stranded in Singapore," he said.
On March 25, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, in a joint statement, said both countries had agreed to reopen their land borders for fully vaccinated travellers beginning April 1.
Malaysia and Singapore will also allow fully vaccinated travellers to cross the land borders without the need to take the Covid-19 pre-departure and arrival tests or be quarantined.