As usual, ICA locks stable doors after the horse has bolted.

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

SECURITY has been tighter in the last two days at the Woodlands Checkpoint, according to motorists who use it regularly.

Vehicles are now inspected one at a time - instead of in groups as before - by customs officials, who also cross-check the number of passengers in the car.

The measures follow the authorities' announcement on Tuesday that a Malaysian woman sneaked through the checkpoint by car to enter Singapore illegally last week.

Motorists said the tweaks may have contributed to the atypical mid-week jams that plagued the Causeway on Wednesday and yesterday, with some drivers saying they took hours to clear immigration and customs.

Previously, vehicle inspections were done in batches, with border officers checking the boots of three to five cars in one go, and letting each group drive off together.

But on Wednesday, cars were stopped and inspected individually, and allowed to drive away only one at a time.

"It was very unusual, and it's the first time I've seen it happen," said health-care professional Chan Wai Chuen, 54, a Singaporean who drives between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur every fortnight for work. He was stuck in traffic at the border for more than two hours on Wednesday afternoon.

"It was a real hassle, as we had to wait three times longer than usual to get through, and that was the cause of the jam."

Mr Chan said he understood border security may have been heightened following Friday's intrusion, but said "there has to be a better way". On its own, he added, the actual vehicle check "did not seem any more thorough".

Yesterday, motorists noticed yet another change: drivers had to hand slips of paper with the number of passengers written down by the passport control officer to the vehicle inspection officer conducting the boot checks, to be cross-checked.

"They wrote down our car plate number and the number of people, handed us the piece of paper, and told us to submit it to the other officer later on, adding to procedure and the time taken to clear all checks," said Malaysian student Liow Wei Ting, 25, who travels daily from Johor to Singapore for school.


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