Johor customs experiences power outage during peak period, leaves cross-border commuters in the dark; minister slams 'embarrassment'
The Chief Minister of Johor Bahru, Dato' Onn Hafiz Ghazi, has come out to say that "this incident is an embarrassment and has disrupted the lives of users"
The Johor Bahru Immigration Customs experienced a blackout on Wednesday morning (6 December), leaving commuters in the dark, both figuratively and literally. Social media was filled with the ensuing chaos, describing scenes of manual passport stamping and bewildered travellers navigating the darkened customs area.
Facebook user Muruga Vell brought the issue to light with a post exclaiming, "No electricity at CIQ!! Manually chop passport..!! 5 am." Vell's accompanying photos depicted long lines of people patiently waiting in the shadows, raising concerns about the potential disruptions caused by the power outage.
Another Facebook user, Kayangan Holding, claimed to have spotted a backup generator used to deal with the blackout at the checkpoint.
There was also a post shared on the blacked-out autogates.
“Blackout at JB Causeway CIQ now. I asked if I needed to check my luggage. I have a torchlight. The 3 of them stood there, not interested to entertain me...pointed at me to get out of there!” Dan Hii posted at 12:16 AM.
Posts on Reddit about the blackout at the checkpoint also included a video of the crowd congestion in total darkness.
The Johor Bahru Customs department has yet to issue an official statement addressing the blackout.
However, the Chief Minister of Johor Bahru, Dato' Onn Hafiz Ghazi, has come out to say that "this incident is an embarrassment and has disrupted the lives of users". He also stated that "orders were given to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) to fix the issue immediately."
The Johor–Singapore Causeway spans 1.056km and serves as a combined railway and motorway bridge connecting the Malaysian city of Johor Bahru to the Singaporean district and town of Woodlands across the Straits of Johor.
Known as one of the most heavily trafficked border crossings globally, it accommodates a daily influx of 350,000 travellers.
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