Over 380,000 People Affected by Autogate Glitch at JB Checkpoint

The breakdown started at about noon on July 18, and involved more than 200 autogates nationwide, with foreigners unable to use the autogate facility.

More than 380,000 foreign travellers were affected by a technical issue that disrupted autogate systems at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in Johor over two days.

Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director-general Mohd Shuhaily Zain said at a press conference at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal One that as at the night of July 19, all affected systems have been restored.

\"As we speak, everything is already up and running. One hundred per cent. We deeply regret this incident occurred. The MyIMMS system, which should have been integrated with an international authoritative body, had connection issues causing delays in the checking process,\" he said.

Datuk Seri Shuhaily added on July 20 that the root cause is being investigated from all angles, including the possibility of a cyber attack.

\"At this time, we do not think so, and I do not want to create any perception that could worsen the situation. For now, let us do our work to find out what happened,\" he said.

When asked if any action plans would be implemented for future issues, Commissioner Shuhaily said they were limited to the current infrastructure.

\"The most we can do is open all manual lanes. One method we implemented in Johor was to inform everyone about issues, so they can better plan or postpone their travels.

\"That’s the best we can do, to reduce the volume of people entering the country,\" he said.

The breakdown started at about noon on July 18, and involved more than 200 autogates nationwide, with foreigners unable to use the autogate facility.

Malaysian passport holders, however, were able to utilise it without any issues.

The affected gateways nationwide included the ones at KLIA, as well as at the BSI complex and Johor’s other land checkpoint at the Sultan Abu Bakar complex (KSAB), which are linked to Singapore by the Causeway and Tuas Second Link, respectively.

AKPS said on July 19 that a data integration issue caused the disruption. It said all manual immigration counters were activated, and additional manpower was deployed.

Johor Works, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Fazli Salleh said he had spoken to the director-general of the Immigration Depart­ment about the issue.

\"It appears the glitch is linked to the Interpol screening system used for foreign nationals. We’ve never experienced a breakdown of this scale before,\" he said.

At the BSI complex alone, there are 39 autogates for exit and 29 for entry, while the KSAB complex has 12 in operation.

The Johor-Singapore Causeway, which links Woodlands Checkpoint and BSI, is one of the world’s busiest border crossings, with an estimated 300,000 people using the connection daily, The Straits Times in Singapore reported.

From May 8 to 13, during the Vesak Day long weekend, more than three million people crossed the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints. The crowd peaked on May 9 at over 546,600 travellers.

Since Jan 20, 2023, Singaporeans have been able to use the electronic gate facilities at the two land checkpoints.

In February 2023, this was extended to the autogate facilities at KLIA 1 and 2.

According to the source: The Straits Times.