Set free @ last!!! Malaysia-Spore border finally opens!

Any seemingly good news on Apr Food's Day must be taken with a large pinch of salt so when I heard a few weeks ago that the Woodlands Crossing into JB was going to be opened on 1 Apr, I was skeptical. Very skeptical. After all, it has been shut due to CV19 lockdown and this has had a tremendouly negative effect on the lives of people on both sides of the Causeway. "

"Singapore depend so much on workers who live and have families in Johor and these poor folks have no choice but to be stranded here because of work, not being able to see their family. Births of new babies, celebration of impt birthdays and even the passing away of love ones have been confined to telecommunications - which has been a most difficult time. My own sister in law's dear mom passed away and her ashes have been with the undertaker, unable to have a proper funeral. For us Singaporens, many go to Malaysia for our recreation - golf, shopping, long drives, savouring the many amazing eateries and during the closure, JB's economy literally came to a crash. The prices for some condos for example, have dived to as much as 50% from purchase price and many businesses especially those depending on Spore customers have gone bust, It was an economic pain not seen for decades. "

"So when the locked gates of 2 years were finally opened few days ago, it was truly an emotional experience for many. At midnight on 1 Apr, over 20000 people rushed to go into JB and it was like water from a broken dam. One of these people was my cycling friend Richard Toh who very wisely went in not at midnight but at 4am. instead of being stuck in a jam, surprisingly the water had settled into a trickle. Richard who has a FB Group called Cycling SG to Malaysia posted his experience which answered many questions and allayed many fears about going into Malaysia especially with additional requirements. "

"In a nutshell, going in require only 2 conditions for people/cyclist: 1. Evidence that you are vaccinated - Print out hard copies of your vaccination records so that it easier than the soft copies in your Apps or phone for easier reference. 2. Uploading of the Malaysian App - My Sejahtera. It is similar to Spore's Trace Together but it takes 5 working days to process, maybe more. Note, you do not need this when clearing Immigration, it is more for checking into shopping malls etc. My personal take is that this will be done away soon as more govts get used to CV19 as endemic rather than pandemic. "

"Returning into Spore requires only the filling up of the SG Arrival Card before immigration. This is basically a Health Declaration and is easy and painfree. Link is here - https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-depart/entry_requirements/sg-arrival-card "

"I am planning to go in this week to meet my dear friends across the Causeway and so looking forward to it. Many cyclists like myself who have been caged in and doing too many round islands are finally set free. April Fool's Day of 2022 will be one many will remember for a very long time.

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"https://mothership.sg/2022/04/man-cycles-from-singapore-to-batu-pahat/?fbclid=IwAR2bQiZrxPCka8qWs5ILThf2arMwQFe_h3mefb4Bi4EDZ_n3HfqIWpxZX2k "

"This is the post on FB by my buddy Richard Toh which is very comprehensive. "

"Cycling into Malaysia OK, so after watching many scaremongering videos about robberies in Johor Bahru (JB), I still could not resist cycling into Malaysia the moment the borders opened on April 01. While I contemplated on riding across at the stroke of midnight, I waited till 4am before leaving my home, which was 10 minutes away from the causeway. This post will be a consolidation of what I've experienced personally at the checkpoints at Woodlands, as well as JB, plus leveraging on the experience by others who have done so, such as Sinn Tail and Trekker Bike . Please feel free to add on your experience and I'll edit my post for clarity with all your inputs, as well as add on a FAQ section to clear some of your doubts Feel free to join our group Cycling SG to Malaysia for more information about cycling across the borders to Malaysia and beyond. We are a platform for cyclists to come together to organise rides across the causeway. There is safety in numbers. PRE DEPARTURE 1. Download MySajehtera App 2. Go to notarise.gov.sg and download your notarised vaccination certificate 3. If you're making a day trip, go to safetravel.ica.gov.sg to fill in your SG ARRIVAL CARD. This applies to both citizens and foreigners. 4. You must also fill up the declaration form (from the Traveller tab) on the MySajehtera app. CYCLING INTO JB 1. By land, You may ONLY enter through the Woodlands Checkpoint by bicycle. 2. Cycle on the road with the cars along Woodlands Crossing, until you see the motorcycle lane appearing on your left. You'll see a small gap between the barries and a signage with a blue arrow with a bicycle below it showing you where cyclists need to be. (Refer to photos) 3. Carry your bicycle over to the motorcycle lane 4. You may use only the MANUAL counters, which is the first counter along the whole row of counters. 5. Next you'll be on the causeway itself between SG and JB.. continue cycling until you reach the JB immigration checkpoint. 6. If your MySajehtera app does not show you as fully vaccinated, please bring a hard copy of your vaccination certificate as proof. They will accept it as well. RETURN TO SINGAPORE 1. Please remember to complete your SG arrival card 2. Clearing through the JB customs is rather straightforward.. just follow the instructions on singages to use non-motor lanes. 3. Remember to fill up the SG ARRIVAL CARD in advance of your return to Singapore on safetravel.ica.gov.sg. 4. Clearing through the Singapore customs, before you reach the immigration counters, AETOS Enforcement officers will ask to see your SG ARRIVAL CARD before letting you proceed to the immigration counters. immigration officers will not ask to see the SG ARRIVAL CARD. 5. In the past, Cyclists will clear the inbound SG customs through the manual lanes closest to the point of entry. This is no longer the case. Cyclists are now redirected to Zone 4 of the car lanes which has been converted to clear cyclists through the immigration checkpoints. This is better. But it may be confusing for old timers. FAQ 1. Do I need to Download MySajehtera app Ans : Yes, as it allows you to do the next steps , such as submitting your vaccination certificate for verification. In addition, you will use the app to check-in to various places once you're in Malaysia. However, the app is not needed for you to clear through customs 2. I have submitted my vaccination certificate through MySajehtera for verification but have not received further updates. What should I do ? Answer : you can still head to JB without a vaccination status update on your app. Simply print a hard copy of your vaccination certificate through notarise.gov.sg and bring it with you. 3. Do cyclists need a VEP or pay for toll when crossing into Malaysia ? Answer : No! 4. Which lane do I use to cycle through the checkpoints on both sides? Answer : ALWAYS use the motorcycle lane 5. What kind of bicycles should I use to cross the border ? Answer : ANY KIND. If you want to do a fast and long ride, go with a road bike. If a slow leisurely ride is your thing, use a foldie. Mountain bikes certainly works well too 6. What do i put as address on the MySajehtera app ? Answer : due to the limitation of the app, simply use your Singapore address, select Johor (or any other state) as your state. 7. What do I put as a local address in the traveller's declaration form if I'm making a day trip or I've not yet booked a hotel ? Answer : I simply put the address of a shopping mall in JB and told the customs officer that I'm making a day trip. 8. I'm not a Singaporean. What sort of complications should I expect ? Answer : if you're from an ASEAN country, AFAIK, you do not need a visa to enter Malaysia. All other requirements are the same i.e. have a valid passport, be able to prove your vaccination status.