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Free Malaysia Today
21-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Bus drivers go on strike, thousands stranded at Johor-S'pore border
Videos showing workers walking across the Causeway went viral on social media, alongside complaints of delays due to the strike. (X pic) PETALING JAYA : Thousands of Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore were left stranded this morning after about 100 cross-border bus drivers went on strike at 5am. The strike caused major delays at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and other key bus stops, with many workers forced to walk across the Causeway to avoid being late for work. Munir Selamat, 34, who works at a restaurant in Singapore, said he was shocked to see the long queue at BSI and decided to walk after waiting for 30 minutes, Berita Harian reported. 'We had no choice. We didn't want to be late for work,' he was quoted as saying. Videos showing workers walking across the Causeway went viral on social media, alongside complaints of delays due to the strike, believed to be over a wage dispute. One driver, who only wanted to be known as Atoi, 35, said a new salary scheme introduced two months ago significantly reduced the income of drivers from about RM2,800 to below RM2,000 monthly. He also claimed the drivers were now required to make five trips daily instead of four, with unclear deductions further affecting their pay. Johor executive councillor Fazli Salleh will reportedly meet with the bus company involved and the drivers to resolve the issue. Some drivers later returned home while a few resumed service at about 10.30am. The company has yet to issue a public notice about the disruption.
New Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Causeway-bound bus drivers go on strike over pay
JOHOR BARU: Thousands of Malaysian workers commuting to Singapore were left stranded at dawn today after about 100 bus drivers abruptly staged a strike over pay cuts. It triggered chaos at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) bus terminals and bus stops across the city heading to Singapore. The surprise boycott, which began at 5am, saw massive queues forming at BSI, with no buses available to ferry workers across the Causeway during the crucial morning rush hour. Desperate to clock in on time, many resorted to walking the 1.05km stretch from Johor Baru into Singapore on foot, dragging bags and dodging peak-hour traffic. "I arrived at 6.30am and saw a human flood queuing for buses. We were confused, only to be told the drivers had gone on strike. "I had no choice but to walk," said Munir Selamat, 34, who works at a restaurant in Singapore. The drivers' protest was reportedly triggered by a recent wage restructuring by the bus company, which slashed their monthly take-home pay from around RM2,800 to below RM2,000, despite rising living costs. A driver, who only wanted to be known as Atoi, 35, said they were also forced to accept an additional mandatory route per day, from four to five, which came without proper compensation for extra mileage and time. "The new salary scheme is unfair. It cuts deep into our earnings, and with extra trips and unclear deductions, many of us decided enough is enough," he added. Some drivers eventually resumed operations around 10.30am, but not before thousands had already been delayed or forced to find alternate means into Singapore. Johor Public Works, Transport and Infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh is currently in talks with the bus company and affected drivers to find a resolution. The New Straits Times has reached out to Causeway Link, which operates one of the largest cross-border bus services between Johor and Singapore. However, the company has yet to respond as at press time. Its services cater to thousands of daily commuters, particularly Malaysians working in the republic.
