Johor DAP has urged Malaysia and Singapore to conduct a joint ministerial emergency meeting to discuss the plight of thousands of Malaysian workers who are forced to wait for many hours to cross the border.

They claim this is because the Singapore authorities have tightened the control at the checkpoints, causing a standstill at the Johor-Singapore causeway.

"Malaysian workers in Singapore are still Malaysians that deserve our utmost attention.

"Their plight must not be ignored by the federal and Johor governments or the Singapore government," DAP Kluang MP and Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong and four state assemblypersons said in a joint press statement.

The four are Cheo Yee How (Pengkalan Rinting), Liow Cai Tung (Johor Jaya), Chen Kah Eng (Stulang) and Chew Peck Choo (Yong Peng).

"DAP Johor urges Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Wahid Omar and Johor Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin, who both sit on the Malaysia-Singapore joint ministerial committee, to request for an emergency meeting of the JMC with their Singaporean counterpart," they said.

Open more counters at CIQ

The two governments must try their best to improve the services at their respective Custom and Immigration Quarantine (CIQ), they added.

"The Singapore government should open more counters at its CIQ to allow for speedier passage for commuters.

"On the Malaysian side, many measures can also be implemented to improve the traffic conditions."

According to them, those who commute daily between Johor Baru and Singapore are from the lower-income group.

This morning Cheo, Liow and Chen walked across the causeway to inspect the situation first hand.

"Johor DAP is deeply concerned with their health and wellbeing. We worry for them and we are saddened by the agony they have to experience just to make ends meet.

"It is in part a reflection of the poor state of the Malaysian economy, in particular the low value of the ringgit vis-à-vis the Singapore dollar," the statement said.

They reiterated the need to prioritise the construction of a "walkalator" and other facilities that ensure safe walking.

"We estimate that the cost of such facility would not exceed RM20 million. Liew had personally presented this idea to Abdul Wahid during their meeting in October 2014.

"Johor DAP proposed that the toll charges collected by PLUS and MRCB, which amount to an average of RM2.5 million per month before August 2014 and an average of RM9.6 million per month after August 2014, should be devoted to improve public transport and traffic for the people," they said.