Edwin Tong on Cross-Border Railways (Border Control Co-Location) Bill

The Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link), set to start running in December, will be a major artery for travel between Singapore and Malaysia. A bill put up for debate in parliament on Tuesday (May 5) is a key supporting pillar of this link, said Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong. It gives effect to a comprehensive set of arrangements that facilitate co-location of customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) facilities at stations on both ends, as well as jointly developed protocols for coordinated management of railway security and cross-border incidents. This will help ensure a seamless and safe journey for travellers, Mr Tong said. A key feature is that travellers will have to clear immigration only once, before boarding the train. The bill’s provisions include circumscribing the areas in Singapore within which Malaysian officers can perform their CIQ duties, empowering the Home Affairs Minister to approve which Malaysian officers can be deployed in Singapore and ensuring that Singapore officers deployed to Malaysia can safeguard Singapore’s borders effectively. Singapore and Malaysia have also agreed that if an offence is committed on a moving train, the destination country will have primary right to exercise jurisdiction.