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Joseph Sipalan

Malaysia is in a race against time to expand Johor Bahru’s public transport to cope with a projected surge in commuters seeking new opportunities in the freshly minted Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
Last week, the governments of Malaysia and Singapore formally launched the JS-SEZ with an initial target of 100 projects over the next decade, spawning at least 20,000 skilled jobs which will see people pour into Malaysia’s southern tip.
But fresh opportunities bring logistical challenges for Johor Bahru, which has stagnated for years as hundreds of thousands of locals make the daily commute across one of the world’s busiest land crossings into Singapore to earn their keep.
“It is not fast enough,” urban and transport planning specialist Goh Bok Yen said of Malaysia’s efforts to upgrade Johor’s public transport system.
“The transport system from their landing [in Johor Bahru] to their ultimate destination [further inland] is something we have not addressed.”
At least 300,000 people travel across the Causeway every day, with commutes sometimes lasting as long as three hours.
Malaysians who travel to Singapore for work or study regularly complain of poor traffic management and slow immigration clearance on the Johor Bahru side.
One solution to the gridlock is the rapid transit system (RTS) being jointly developed by the neighbouring nations, which will carry up to 10,000 passengers either way every hour and promises to cut commute times to mere minutes.
It is set to be operational in 2027.

The lack of a local dispersal system, however, means that part of the congestion will shift to the RTS terminus point at Bukit Chagar, just a stone’s throw from the Johor Bahru customs and immigrations centre, which currently handles the flow of travellers to and from Singapore.
Public transport within Johor Bahru for arrivals at the CIQ is currently mostly served by bus, besides taxi and e-hailing services.
Malaysia’s Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said on January 7 that the government was looking at building a light or autonomous rail transit system in Johor Bahru to meet the projected demand for public transport within the JS-SEZ.
Both governments could also use Johor’s long southern coastline facing Singapore to set up multiple entry points by ferry or cable car, said Rosli Khan, a logistics and transport expert.
“Congestion can be addressed by dispersing the entry points. So long as security and safety is there, why limit the number of crossings?” said Rosli, managing director at consultancy MDS Consultant Group.
But the scale of the JS-SEZ, which covers a land mass of over 3,500 sq km, will require Malaysia to think big and develop an integrated system along the lines of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen special economic zone – on which the JS-SEZ is modelled.
Goh, the transport planning expert, said the transit development model would be different from what Malaysia had done so far and should integrate both public and private transport from fixed rail to road networks to efficiently spread out arrivals and departures.


“This is different from KL Sentral,” Goh said, referring to the central rail station in capital city Kuala Lumpur. “Only track transportation converges into KL Sentral, so it is very micro,” he said.
Cost could be the main sticking factor, but Goh said the expected demand from businesses looking to set up shop in the JS-SEZ would justify the infrastructure spend.
Strong interest is expected from companies looking to leverage on the pairing of Singapore’s status as a global financial hub and Johor’s infrastructure, tax breaks and labour cost advantages.


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Malaysia

Vehicles coming from Johor Bahru in Malaysia queue near an immigration checkpoint to enter Singapore on March 31, 2023. Photo: AFP

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) walks with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on January 7. Photo: Reuters

Shipyards in Batam, Riau Islands province. Indonesia has 24 SEZs, six of which are in the Riau Islands. Photo: Reuters

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong walks with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on January 7. Singapore and Malaysia signed an agreement to develop the 3,500 sq km Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone Photo: Pool via Reuters

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo (third from left) at the Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate Special Economic Zone in Gresik, East Java, in September 2024. Photo: Indonesia’s Presidential Palace / AFP

Vendors wait for customers at a mobile phone shopping centre in Jakarta. Indonesia has banned sales of Apple’s iPhone 16. Photo: AFP

Can the Johor-Singapore SEZ be a flag-bearer for Southeast Asia’s economic clout?

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong walks with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim with the background of Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: Pool via Reuters

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (centre left) and his delegation members meet Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (third from right) at the prime minister’s office in Putajaya, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Motorists coming from Malaysia’s state of Johor form a queue as they approach the immigration checkpoint to enter Singapore. Photo: AFP

Police hunt gunman as Johor shooting spotlights safety concerns in Malaysia-Singapore SEZ area

Police said the shooting incident in Johor was no cause for panic. Photo: Shutterstock

Two officers were killed in an attack on a Johor police station in May 2024. Photo: AP

The Johor-Singapore Causeway. Photo: AP

Malaysia’s Johor-Singapore SEZ set to spur growth, but ‘development gap’ poses risk

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim speaks during a press conference with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Putrajaya on Tuesday. Photo: AP

The Woodlands causeway linking Singapore to the Malaysian state of Johor. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his ministers meet with Singapore’s leaders including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Putrajaya on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Then-Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim attend an event to mark a phase completion of the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System last January. Photo: X/@anwaribrahim

A welcome sign in front of residential units at the Forest City development in Johor Bahru. Photo: EPA-EFE

After years of delays, Malaysia, Singapore finalise vast SEZ

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (left) with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his cabinet ministers (right) hold talks with Singaporean leader Lawrence Wong and his delegation in Putrajaya on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Motorists coming from Malaysia’s Johor state form a queue as they approach the immigration checkpoint to enter Singapore via the causeway. Photo: AFP

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The state neighbouring Singapore is facing logistical challenges, with transport infrastructure stagnating for years


The state neighbouring Singapore is facing logistical challenges, with transport infrastructure stagnating for years.


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