Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry (MHA) has turned down a proposal by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to introduce a single immigration and customs checkpoint at the Johor Causeway.

The Star reported yesterday that Najib had proposed that those heading to Singapore be checked in the republic, while those heading to Johor would be checked on the Malaysian side.

“These are among the recommendations being looked into by a task force headed by the deputy prime minister (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi),’’ Najib said in Muar.

However, the MHA was quoted as saying by The Straits Times today that "it is not possible to do away with immigration and custom checks (on the Singaporean side) for departing travellers."

This is because departure checks are a vital part of Singapore's border security, the ministry said.

“The Singapore government will continue to work with Malaysia to explore other practical ways to facilitate travel between Singapore and Malaysia,” MHA added.

Najib's proposal was meant to ease traffic along the Causeway.