Cheap shopping and makan in Johor Bahru?

I read the terrible experience of the two Singaporean ladies who suffered at the hands of the Malaysian Immigration and Customs with much feeling. 

I have stopped going to JB for shopping and makan (Malay for "eating") for years now. The numerous reports of robbery, murder, burglary, car thefts etc raised a red flag. How these criminals seem to target Singaporeans really did it for me. 



However, past reports of how Singaporeans suffered at the hands of the Malaysian Immigration and Polis (that's how it is spelt in Malaysia, if I remember correctly) really angered me. 

Is it not enough that we have to worry about criminals? Do we have to worry about the law enforcers as well? Ahem, in Malaysia, yes!

My family used to go to JB regularly many years ago for recreation. I remember once when we were about to leave that my mom discovered her passport was not stamped with an exit stamp the last time we visited. It created a bit of an inconvenience that time when we were leaving the country. 

However, since she had an entry stamp, she was not fined or jailed for illegal entry and she could not be charged for overstaying as well since she just received another entry stamp for our then current trip. I remember she still had to pay a "fine" while we waited for her and my dad in the car.

From then on, we made it a point to check our passports carefully each time we went through Malaysian customs. Good thing we did too because on another trip later on, my dad's passport was not stamped upon entry. We stopped the car by the roadside and my dad walked back to the booth to get his entry stamp. It was a long walk and we waited for him in the car for more than 30 minutes. Thank goodness, no complications because his immigration "white card" (Malaysian immigration form) was all in order.

It has been many years since I was last in JB. I do not see why I should go to JB for shopping and makan just to save some $10 or so per trip. Actually, the imported goods are cheaper in Singapore. 

Unless we have a penchant for buying large quantities of Buatan Malaysia (Made in Malaysia) products, we can't save much money. The potential risks and the angst are just not worth the small savings.

Anyway, I get the feeling that Singaporeans are not welcomed in JB as they look at us as the reason for higher cost of living there. Why should we be so thick skinned to go to a place which does not welcome us? 

Give JB a miss, I say.

Want a good and inexpensive meal? Go to one of our famed hawker centres! I have blogged about quite a few too. 

Happy and safe makan! Burp!

Read articles here:
S’pore duo to file complaint against M’sia Immigration




(Added in November 2016)