Security is the priority: ICA

Today
15 Oct 2009

WE REFER to the letter “The Woodlands bottleneck” (Oct 6) by Chua Kheng Yeow.

On Oct 3, the Woodlands Checkpoint experienced a high traffic volume from 10.30pm till after midnight at both arrival and departure. It was during this peak period that Mr Chua entered the checkpoint.

Contrary to his claims that he waited 45 minutes for the vehicle check, our records show that he reached the immigration booth at 12.41 am, and left the checkpoint at 1.09 am, a total time taken of 28 minutes. As with any peak period when travellers choose to use the checkpoints at the same time, a longer waiting time is not unexpected.

It is imperative to conduct mandatory security checks on all vehicles, as smugglers have used conveyances to conceal illegal immigrants and items of security concerns. We hope Mr Chua understands that stepped-up checks are also required during peak periods as smugglers have been known to try and exploit the heavy traffic situation in their smuggling attempts. While Mr Chua may see it as “cursory check”, our officers are trained to look out for telltale signs and suspicious behaviour swiftly.

In his letter, Mr Chua questioned the need to deploy officers to direct traffic near the immigration booths. These officers are deployed to perform security observation duties and assist in directing vehicles to available booths. We have observed that some drivers are selective in choosing their immigration booths — for instance those who wait for a counter that operates on the driver’s side for their convenience. Such selective queueing slows down the operations and creates a bottleneck.

We appreciate the public’s feedback on ways to improve our clearance efficiency. Undoubtedly, security measures must take precedence as we strive to ensure that undesirables, be it people, goods or conveyances, do not slip through our border checkpoints. We would be doing Singapore a disservice if we compromise on security at the nation’s first line of defence.

Chia Hui Keng

Head, Public & Internal Communications Branch
Corporate Communications Division
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority


Picky drivers cause checkpoint delay

My Paper
15 Oct 2009

WE REFER to the letter, “Open more lanes at checkpoint”, by Mr Chua Kheng Yeow (my paper, Oct 12).

On Saturday, Oct 3, the Woodlands Checkpoint experienced a higher traffic volume from 10.30pm till after midnight for both arrivals and departures.

It was during this peak period that Mr Chua entered the checkpoint. Contrary to his claims that he waited 45 minutes for a vehicle check, our records show that he reached the immigration booth at 12.41am and left the checkpoint at 1.09am.

The total time taken was 28 minutes. As with any peak period when travellers choose to use checkpoints at the same time, a longer waiting time is not unexpected.

It is imperative to conduct mandatory security checks on all vehicles, as smugglers have used conveyances to conceal illegal immigrants and items of security concern.

Stepped-up checks are also required during peak periods as smugglers have been known to try to exploit the traffic situation for their smuggling attempts.

While Mr Chua may see it as a “cursory check”, our officers are trained to look for telltale signs and suspicious behaviour swiftly.

In his letter, Mr Chua questioned the need to deploy officers to direct traffic near the immigration booths.
These officers are deployed to perform security-observation duties and assist in directing vehicles to available booths.

We have observed that some drivers are selective about the immigration booth they queue up at, such as those who wait for a counter that operates on the driver’s side, for their convenience.

Such selective queueing slows down operations and creates a bottleneck.

We appreciate the public’s feedback on ways to improve our clearance efficiency.

However, security measures must take precedence as we strive to ensurethat undesirables, be they people, goods or conveyances, do not slip through our border checkpoints.

We would be doing Singapore a disservice if we compromised on security at the nation’s first line of defence.

Ms Chia Hui Keng
Head, Public & Internal Communications Branch
Corporate Communications Division
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority

Longer wait inevitable during peak

The New Paper
14 Oct 2009

WE REFER to the letter 'Can more lanes be opened?' by Mr Chua Kheng Yeow (The New Paper, 9 Oct).

On Saturday, 3 Oct, the Woodlands Checkpoint had experienced a higher traffic volume from 10.30 pm till after midnight at both arrival and departure. It was during this period that Mr Chua entered the checkpoint.

Contrary to his claims that he waited 45 minutes for the vehicle check, our records show that he reached the immigration booth at 12.41 am and left the checkpoint at 1.09 am. The total time taken was 28 minutes.

As with any peak period, when travellers choose to use the checkpoints at the same time, a longer waiting time is not unexpected.

It is imperative to conduct mandatory security checks on all vehicles, as smugglers have used conveyances to conceal illegal immigrants and items of security concerns.

We hope Mr Chua understands that stepped-up checks are also required during peak periods as smugglers have been known to try to exploit the heavy traffic situation in their smuggling attempts.

While Mr Chua may see it as 'cursory check', our officers are trained to look out for tell-tale signs and suspicious behaviour swiftly.

In his letter, Mr Chua questioned the need to deploy officers to direct traffic near the immigration booths. These officers are deployed to perform security observation duties and assist in directing vehicles to available booths.

We have observed that some drivers are selective in choosing their immigration booths, for instance, those who wait for a counter that operates on the driver's side for their convenience. Such selective queuing slows down the operations and hence creates a bottleneck situation.

We appreciate the public's feedback on ways to improve our clearance efficiency.

Undoubtedly, security measures must take precedence as we strive to ensure that undesirables, be it people, goods or conveyances, do not slip through our border checkpoints.

We will be doing Singapore a disservice if we compromise on security at the nation's first line of defence.

FROM CHIA HUI KENG HEAD, PUBLIC & INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION, IMMIGRATION & CHECKPOINTS AUTHORITY

Cars: The Woodlands bottleneck

Today
6 Oct 2009

Letter from Chua Kheng Yeow

I returned from Johor Bahru at about midnight on Saturday, and met with the expected jam leading up to the Woodlands Checkpoint. On this occasion, the movement of vehicles was unusually slow. When I finally reached the area where cars are searched, I realised that only two of the five available lanes had been opened.

Officers had been stationed near the immigration booths to direct traffic. Couldn't they have been deployed to help inspect cars instead, so more lanes could be opened?

I spent 45 minutes in the jam after my passport had been cleared because I had to wait for what was no more than a cursory check at Customs. Things can surely be more efficient than this.

Jam at Woodlands Checkpoint: Can more lanes be open?

The New Paper
9 Oct 2009

I RETURNED from Johor Baru to Singapore around midnight on 3 Oct. Clearing Malaysian immigration was a breeze.

Then came the usual jam at Singapore's Woodlands Checkpoint. And this time, it was really slow.
I realised that the queue was all the way from the customs clearance area to the immigration booths.

Cars which had cleared the passport checks were not able to leave the booth areas because the cars in front were not moving.

I later realised that only two of the five lanes to check the cars were open.

From what I could see, the officers just glanced into each car's boot and did not do any other checks. I guess they were under pressure to clear the queue as fast as possible.

This is a persistent problem at the Woodlands Checkpoint, and I wonder whether the procedure can be improved.

For instance, I saw officers were deployed near the immigration booths to direct traffic. Could these officers have been deployed for custom checks so that more lanes could be opened?

The cars near the immigration booth were struck in a jam anyway, and they didn't have much space to move about, and so there was no need for anyone to direct traffic.

I spent 45 minutes in the jam after clearing the passport checks, waiting for a 2-second check at customs.

Things can surely be more efficient than this.

FROM READER CHUA KHENG YEOW

Open More Lanes at Checkpoint

My Paper
12 Oct 2009

I RETURNED to Singapore from Johor Baru at about midnight on Oct 3.

Clearing the immigration checkpoint on the Malaysian side was a breeze.

Then came the usual jam at Singapore’s Woodlands Checkpoint. Cars which had been cleared after passport checks were not able to move forward as those in front were not moving.

I later realised that only two out of five lanes to check the cars were opened. The officers just glanced cursorily into car boots. They probably did so as they were under pressure to clear the queue and were not able to make thorough checks.

I also saw officers deployed near the immigration booths to direct traffic. Why were they not deployed to conduct Customs checks so that more lanes could be open?

As the cars near the immigration booth were all stuck in the jam, there was little room for them to
move and, hence, no need for traffic to be directed. I waited 45 minutes after my passport was
checked for a two-minute Customs check. Things could surely be more efficient than this.

Mr Chua Kheng Yeow