geedee

They stopped it, with no notice, June 12th.

Froggybarnacle2000

Hi geedee,
On another online forum, they mentioned that the MACS suspension only applies to the Third Link office in Singapore. The IRDA office at Danga Bay is still issuing MACS passes.
Good riddance to the Third Link office, I hope they will never be operational again as they were absolutely useless and reeked of Najib crony corruption.

But how will Singaporeans and Sg-based foreigners apply for the MACS pass now? The Danga Bay office only issues MACS passes to homeowners in the Iskandar Puteri enclaves and children who have Malaysia Student Passes for the Educity-based schools. Will you, as a tenant (Leisure Farm, right?) be able to apply at the Danga Bay office?

The notice that the Third Link office put out made it sound like the entire MACS pass programme had been suspended. As a parent of a child living in Singapore and attending a school in Educity, this issue interests me. Without the MACS pass, my child's passport will be stamped going into Johor and going out of Johor everyday. The prospect of having to renew a passport in less than a year due to it being filled up with visa stamps is quite annoying. And we're not just talking about the children. A MACS pass suspension will also affect the Singaporeans and expats who have chosen to live in Iskandar Puteri and commute to work in Singapore every day. I hope we get more information about the direction this MACS pass is headed.

geedee

Hi Froggy
I heard the Danga Bay Office has shut down too. I wrote to the school and they haven't replied. This is a Malaysia Immigration decision, not 3rd link.

If you have a kid's British passport, 26 pages, and commute from S'pore, it will be full in 15 to 16 weeks from new.

Iskandar project dead, many that we know giving up. Going back home or S'pore. What a disaster.

RedApe

But if you have a pass at least you'll be able to "peruse" the pass while waiting at the causeway.

Everyone else will still have to tray and "pursue" a pass.

shessojag

Any updates on MACS ?

RedApe

Throw in this...and it will likely severely crash development in Johor.

Malaysia will not allow foreigners to buy residential units built at the US$100 billion Forest City project in Johor, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

The project has been wracked by uncertainty since Mahathir’s coalition scored a shock victory at the May 9 general election, as developer Country Garden Holdings Co looks to revive faltering demand for its plans to build a city that would be home to 700,000 people.

“One thing is certain, that city that is going to be built cannot be sold to foreigners. We are not going to give visas for people to come and live here,” Mahathir told reporters at a press conference.

Forest City off-limits to foreign buyers, says Dr M | Free Malaysia Today

geedee

Yes, it's dead and unlikely to be revived. School did say they understand tis will be a significant disruption to those who commute from Singapore and that they are in talks with the Authorities and will make known any further news.

geedee

The new Government seem to have it in for Johor for some reason. What's going to all the flats bought by Chinese already? A lot of people have lost a lot of money......
On the bright side it may make the commute to Singapore easier � ����

RedApe

This was raised on another topic....with a clarification from the PM's office.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/ca...-office/?fmt=1

“For foreigners wishing to make Malaysia their permanent residence, there is a government programme called Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H). Conditions are clearly spelt out for those interested and information on this programme is also publicly available.”

Even this is a bit deceptive... as anyone on the MM2H program knows the MM2H program does not place one on the path to permanent residency. The accrued time cannot be used, as other visa categories do, toward satisfying a "tenure" requirement for PR-status. Of course there are other requirements too for PR-status...including capability in Bahasa Malay.

geedee

It's coming back! Oh, the png uploading but doesn't appear.

Being re-instated today for long term pass holders ONLY

Better than nothing, better get a visa!

RedApe

Here you go...From The Malay Mail 19/6/2019

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malay...d-link/1763612

No mention specifically of MM2H?

"However, its implementation will only be valid for foreigners who are long-term social visit pass holders at the Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) Customs, Immigration and Qurantine facility on the Malaysian checkpoint at the Second Link crossing in Tanjung Kupang here.

In a Johor Immigration Department notice, Singaporeans or other foreigners with long-term social visit passes can apply for the new MACS from today at the Malaysian Immigration MACS office at the Iskandar Regional Development Authority at #G-01 Block 8, Danga Bay in Jalan Skudai here.

“Please take note that the MACS facility can only be used at KSAB,” stated the notice which was in Malay and English, referring to the particular border crossing where the automated clearance system can be used.

MACS uses a sticker that is embedded with an RFID chip that is attached to a passport and scanned upon entry and departure from Malaysia. This eliminates waiting time and also makes do without the Malaysian immigration passport stamps.

It was learnt that the new MACS system will be improved from the previous one where it will cater only to Singaporeans or foreigners with long-term social visit pass holders.

The system will only cater to genuine non-Malaysian investors, business persons and professionals.

Malay Mail reported last August that more than 500,000 Singaporeans and other foreigners have been registered with MACS."

Epicurious

Great news for those who need it. By the way, I would hope MM2H is considered as equivalent to a Long Term Social Visit Pass; in mine it says "Visit Pass (social)" and it's long term, so ....

geedee

Thanks RedApe! Disagree with this bit: "This eliminates waiting time " - most certainly didn't, you have to Q like everyone else!

Not sure about this part... "The system will only cater to genuine non-Malaysian investors, business persons and professionals."

Won't work at Woodlands?? Weird!

Anyway, time to make enquiries!