Adli Hakimi knows the first obstacle in Johor’s state election is not the ballot box, but the Causeway.
The 26-year-old nurse is among Johor’s workers based in the city state – often called “SGD fighters” online for earning stronger Singapore-dollar wages – who are weighing leave, shifts and border queues before polling day on July 11.
For Malaysia, the challenge is keeping immigration glitches and Causeway congestion at bay so that these voters can take part in one of the country’s most closely watched state elections.
“I have requested leave on that day,” Adli, who votes in Tiram and has worked in Singapore’s healthcare sector for about three years, told This Week in Asia.
He now commutes daily by motorcycle after trying “all modes of transport” between Johor and Singapore.
“On weekends, if you travel by public transport, you will definitely get stuck in the [traffic] jam.”
He praised the state government for doing “a very good job” for Malaysians working in the city state but said the sight of workers walking along the Johor-Singapore bridge showed the need for a safer pedestrian option.