A special task force is preparing for a massive polling day surge as up to 200,000 cross-border workers return home to vote
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenSCMP’s Asia deskPublished: 2:23pm, 29 Jun 2026Malaysia has set up a special task force to tackle potential disruptions on the causeway linking Johor to Singapore ahead of a state election next month.Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has said ensuring smooth cross-border movement is his ministry’s “highest priority” as tens of thousands of Malaysians are expected to return home to cast their votes in the Johor state election on July 11.“We are not taking any chances. We have Plan A and Plan B ready to go. That is the directive I have given to the ministry,” Saifuddin said on Saturday, as reported by state-run news agency Bernama.
Between 100,000 and 200,000 Johoreans work in neighbouring Singapore, according to local media estimates from 2022. The causeway ranks among the world’s busiest land crossings, with an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people using it on a typical day, the New Straits Times has reported.
There remains a possibility of disruptionsMalaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution IsmailThe focus on causeway traffic comes as Malaysia transitions to a new immigration system designed to improve reliability and handle higher passenger volumes at its border checkpoints.
“We are still using the existing system because the transition to the new system is ongoing,” Saifuddin said, as quoted by the Sinar Daily newspaper. “There remains a possibility of disruptions during the migration process. Our focus now is to ensure that any disruptions can be avoided on polling day.”
