Johor Mulls Over Third Ferry Service To Singapore

Photo credit: CNA The government of Johor state has proposed an additional ferry service to facilitate travel between the Malaysian state and Singapore. Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi stated that this was one of the topics discussed with Singapore ministers during his visit to the Republic. "We proposed the addition of a third ferry service between Johor and Singapore." We proposed a route between Puteri Harbour and Tuas. However, we will need approval from the Transport Ministry before we can hold further discussions with Singapore's Transport Ministry," he said.

There are currently two ferry services running between Tanah Merah and Desaru Coast, as well as Tanah Merah and Tanjung Belungkor. He was responding to a question from Pakatan Harapan assemblyman Andrew Chen Kah Eng during the Sunday session of the state assembly.  Chen had inquired as to what was discussed during the state government of Johor's official visit to Singapore in February.

Onn Hafiz also stated that the Johor government would soon implement a mechanism to encourage the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in the state. "Among the topics I discussed with Singapore's Transport Minister S. Iswaran was the use of EVs, and he shared that by 2030, they will stop registering gasoline-powered vehicles," he said.

“We also need to have a plan on this and will work closely with the local governments.

“I will discuss with the state secretary the need to have a mechanism which will involve industries that could support our strategy (on EVs) in years to come.”


Onn Hafiz also met Singapore's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, and four companies interested in investing in Johor during his visit. He stated that resolving traffic congestion between Johor and Singapore is a top priority for both the state and federal governments. The minister mentioned the federal government's initiatives such as expanding the use of electronic gates to Singaporeans, increasing the number of motorcycle lanes from 50 to 75 each way, and merging counters of various agencies at the border. He added that there would be four zones at the Johor Causeway that would combine counters from all relevant agencies to facilitate a single clearance system.

"Right now, travellers must stop twice to clear their passports and pay their Touch 'n Go (TnG) fee, but after that, they only need to stop once," Onn explained. Earlier, Chen told the state assembly that Singaporean artiste Wang Lei had recently expressed his displeasure at having to wait seven hours at the Causeway due to traffic congestion. He also stated that, while there have been initiatives to monitor border congestion, there is still room for improvement. The state government's efforts to attract businesses would be hampered by traffic congestion, he emphasized.