He said that the overall plan is to “widen the scope of travellers” who will be able to use the QR code system.
Following Singapore’s roll out of its QR code system in March, travellers have reported positive feedback, with some outlining that the system has shaved up to 30 minutes off their journey time as it eases congestion on the Singapore side of the borders.
Johoreans and businesses have also urged the Malaysia government to reciprocate with a similar system, in line with plans for passport-free clearance in the proposed Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (SEZ).
In January, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop a framework for a legally binding agreement on the SEZ. A key part of the MOU was exploring passport-free clearance on both sides of the border, and Singapore unilaterally introduced its system in March.
Immigration experts previously told CNA that passport-free travel at the Johor-Singapore border – one of the world’s busiest land crossings – would be a gamechanger to boost economic cooperation between the two countries.
Passport-free travel has been implemented in other parts of the world. For instance, the Schengen area in Europe permits travellers to cross country borders without the need for passport checks.
This includes countries such as Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
The United Arab Emirates is also set to implement facial recognition at its borders and remove the need to produce a passport at the port of entry.
FACTORY BUS PASSENGERS LAUD MOVE, HOPE MALAYSIA’S QR CODE SYSTEM WILL NOT HAVE GLITCHES
Malaysians who travel to Singapore via these factory buses told CNA that they welcomed the move to implement QR code immigration clearance on the Johor side of the border as it could decrease travel time and ensure smoother journeys.
Mr Meshach Raven Kelvin Suraj, who works as an aircraft engineer at Changi Airport, told CNA he typically takes 90 minutes to travel one way but he hopes that with the implementation of the QR code, this may be reduced to an hour.
