SEPANG, Malaysia – Singaporeans travelling to Malaysia will not be required to fill up the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC), which will be compulsory from Jan 1 for foreign travellers.
“All Singaporean citizens will be exempted (from filling up the digital card),” Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told a news conference at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Dec 5.
Explaining the move, he said some Singaporeans enter Malaysia on an almost daily basis, and therefore “it is more realistic for us to exempt them”.
Other travellers exempted include diplomatic passport holders, Malaysian permanent residents, Brunei General Certificate of Identity holders, and Thailand Border Pass holders.
Filling up the card is voluntary for now, but incoming travellers are encouraged to do so.
The formal implementation of the MDAC was initially scheduled to start on Dec 8, but foreign travellers have now been given a grace period of almost one month.
Malaysia’s two border crossings with Singapore are among the busiest in the world, with some 135 million transits via the crossing each year, a figure that is expected to increase to 150 million in 2026, said Datuk Seri Saifuddin.
The exemption for Singaporeans applies at all entry points, and not just at the southern entry points in Johor, he added.
On social media and chat groups, many travellers reported mixed messages from Malaysian immigration officers about the MDAC.
There was confusion over whether those driving into Malaysia from Singapore via the two land checkpoints across the Straits of Johor will be required to fill up the MDAC.
“I was advised by JB customs to fill up the MDAC. He (an immigration officer) said Dec 7 is compulsory to do so even if you are driving in,” said a driver on a Telegram chat group.
“And he advised not to do it last minute, just in case their system could not capture the data immediately.”
Another person said his friend was “forced” by an immigration officer at the Causeway to fill up the form, causing a queue for 10 minutes as a result.
“I understand not every officer is imposing it yet, but to be safe and to avoid any possible risks of causing delays, please do so before going into Johor,” said the unnamed person.
Some drivers said they had been able to enter Malaysia without filling up the MDAC.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHJhaXRzdGltZXMuY29tL2FzaWEvc2UtYXNpYS9zaW5nYXBvcmVhbnMtZXhlbXB0LWZyb20tbWFsYXlzaWEtZGlnaXRhbC1hcnJpdmFsLWNhcmQtdGhhdC1hcHBsaWVzLXRvLWZvcmVpZ25lcnMtZnJvbS1qYW4tMdIBAA?oc=5
2023-12-05 09:40:00Z
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