Malaysia ramps up enforcement at borders with Singapore to curb ‘smuggling’ of subsidized goods

The Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency said it conducted a screening operation last Thursday at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex at the northern end of the Johor–Singapore Causeway, which links the city-state with Malaysia’s southern state of Johor.

“The main reason is to curb any form of smuggling and for people to adhere to the regulations set by the agencies,” it said.

A Home Ministry official told The Star that the agency’s officers have started carrying out checks in recent days to prevent such activities amid concerns that tensions in the Middle East could result in more Singaporeans crossing the border to buy up subsidized essentials.

“We do not want people to smuggle subsidized packet cooking oil or other subsidized items such as sugar, flour and rice,” the official said, as quoted by the Malaysian newspaper in a Tuesday report.

The official added that officers are monitoring whether many Singaporean motorists are entering Johor to refuel during off-peak hours, as well as watching for those attempting to purchase petrol in containers.

Local media recently reported that many Singaporeans traveling to Johor to fill up on cheaper petrol. Data from energy price tracking website GlobalPetrolPrices shows the city-state has the highest RON95 prices in Southeast Asia, whereas Malaysia remains among the cheapest.

Separately, Malaysia’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living has said it plans to roll out CCTV surveillance at petrol stations considered vulnerable to prevent the misappropriation of subsidized RON95 fuel.

The subsidy is limited to locally registered vehicles while foreign-registered cars, including those from Singapore, can only purchase RON97.

Authorities are also tightening controls on the issue by banning the purchase of the subsidized fuel by foreign-registered vehicles and the use of foreign-issued credit and debit cards for RON95 purchases, AsiaOne reported.

Besides the recent fuel-driven influx, Johor has long been a preferred shopping destination for Singaporeans seeking more affordable goods and services, especially around festive periods and holidays.

During the March school holidays and the Hari Raya Aidilfitri weekend between March 13 and 22, more than five million travelers passed through the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints leading to Johor, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said on Monday, as cited by The Straits Times.

The agency also cautioned that those heading to Malaysia via land crossings from April 3 to 5 should brace for very heavy traffic and longer clearance times, citing the Good Friday and Qing Ming period, along with tighter security checks at all checkpoints.