Reunion: Safe Travel at Woodlands Checkpoint

PHOTOS: Dayana Yakob

In 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak led to the implementation of travel restrictions around the world, Woodlands Checkpoint was among the world’s busiest land crossings, with close to 300,000 travellers passing through every day.

Cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia had been partially resumed following the implementation of the Reciprocal Green Lane and Periodic Commuting Arrangement in August 2021. Travellers on these travel schemes had to serve quarantine upon their arrival at the destination country. 

To further restore connectivity between Singapore and Malaysia, the two countries launched the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) (Land) across the Causeway from 29 November 2021, allowing fully vaccinated travellers to travel between both countries. They are subject to COVID-19 tests in lieu of serving quarantine.

I visited Woodlands Checkpoint last week to see how officers of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have been working hard to facilitate safe travel during the Chinese New Year festive period. 

Departing and Arriving travellers arrive at Woodlands Checkpoint on designated bus services, at half-hour intervals. 

Certain buses can carry a maximum of 45 passengers. However, on some occasions, a bus arrives with only the driver as there are cases of travellers cancelling their trips. I watched as about 20 travellers got off a bus, collected their bags and walked to the arrival hall. 

The number of travellers for the VTL (Land) is currently limited due to the rise in Omicron cases. On the day we visited, approximately 1,000 travellers were expected to pass through Woodlands Checkpoint. 

Inside the arrival hall of Woodlands Checkpoint, it felt eerily similar to being in a library; there was barely any chatter as the travellers arrived. 

To implement the VTL (Land) at Woodlands Checkpoint, ICA officers worked round the clock with public agencies like the Ministry of Health,Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Land Transport Authority to ensure that systems, processes and ground measures were in place to provide a smooth immigration clearance experience for travellers. 

With vaccination certificates and other necessary documents in hand, the travellers queued as a team of ICA officers attended to them. Wearing masks, goggles and gloves, the officers swiftly scanned the documents to make sure that everything was in order.

Among the officers keeping a watchful eye inside the arrival hall was Sergeant (SGT) 2 Ong Li Ting, who has served with ICA since 2015. “The crowd is much smaller now compared to pre-COVID-19 days,” she said, “but there has been a slight rise in the number of travellers following the opening of VTL (Land), leading to the Chinese New Year period.” 

SGT2 Li Ting’s duty is to ensure that that immigration clearance for travellers is seamless, providing assistance to those experiencing difficulties. Occasionally, she’ll also assist her colleagues at the counters if they need support. “As the buses arrive at regular intervals,” she explained, “we try to ensure that the immigration clearance for each group of travellers is smooth.” 

As a frontline Home Team officer, SGT2 Li Ting is often on duty during festive periods. “My family is supportive and understanding about this,” she shared. “If I’m on shift during Chinese New Year, I’ll arrange to visit my extended family another day, or take leave some other time to be with them.” 

Travellers whose documents are in order can proceed to the automated or manual immigration clearance counters. Those with incomplete documents are directed to another team of ICA officers inside the arrival hall. 

Inside an office in the arrival hall, we met SGT2 Iqbal Bin Abdul Wahab, a Deputy Team Leader who has served with ICA for nine years. We watched as he attended to a traveller. “During this period, besides conducting immigration clearance,” he said, “We also need to check the documents and health declarations of travellers, to safeguard public health.”

“If our primary clearance officers identify any issues with a traveller’s documents, the traveller will be referred to us, for further assessment,” said SGT2 Iqbal. “We have strict health protocols and requirements for all travellers, and they must undergo the necessary steps if warranted.”

When border restrictions were in effect at Woodlands Checkpoint from March 2020 to November 2021, SGT2 Iqbal was assigned to facilitate family reunions across the Causeway. “These usually involved the elderly or young children,” he explained. “I’d escort them to make sure they were safely received by their families and the immigration officers, either in Malaysia or Singapore. It was very emotional when the families met up, so it feels good to see our borders slowly reopening.”
 

Once the travellers have cleared immigration, they’ll get their bags scanned by a team of auxiliary staff wearing personal protection equipment. The travellers can then reboard their bus for the final leg of their journey, to either Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange or Queen Street Terminal. 

The immigration process was swift and after each group left, the arrival hall stood silent. We overheard one aunty exclaim, “Hen lei!” (very tiring). But she was relieved to have cleared immigration at Woodlands Checkpoint with ease. Her little boy showed us his approval as well!

With the progressive reopening of Singapore’s borders, frontline officers like SGT2 Li Ting and SGT2 Iqbal are working hard to implement ICA’s border control and immigration clearance policies while continuing to safeguard public health. They are the ones who’ve helped make Chinese New Year this year a little more special for travellers using the VTL (Land). 

SafeTravel 
Want to find out more about the VTL (Land) and other information on travelling to and from Singapore? Visit ICA’s SafeTravel website. For updates on screenings and immigration-related matters, visit ICA’s Facebook page.