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Singapore businesses brace for Johor challenge as Causeway competition heats up

From dental clinics and opticians to HR firms, companies here are adapting in different ways as JB’s pull grows stronger

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Renald Yeo

Renald Yeo

Published Fri, Sep 12, 2025 · 02:00 PM
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    • As more Singaporeans cross the border to eat, shop and seek services, businesses here are applying different salves – and firing different salvos – at the problem.
    • As more Singaporeans cross the border to eat, shop and seek services, businesses here are applying different salves – and firing different salvos – at the problem. ILLUSTRATION: MARIO MONREAL, BT; ADOBE STOCK

    [SINGAPORE] Snaking queues, petrol fumes and impassive immigration officers – that’s the typical experience of crossing the border into Johor Bahru.

    In the coming years, this is set to become more seamless as long-planned infrastructure projects such as the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and the expansion of the Woodlands Checkpoint – one of two land crossings between Singapore and Malaysia – come online.

    In 2024, daily traveller volume at Woodlands Checkpoint rose 22 per cent year on year to 327,000, from 269,000 in 2023. Average daily numbers are projected to reach 400,000 by 2050.

    BrunchJohorJohor BahruSingapore-Johor economic tiesJohor-Singapore SEZMalaysiaSingapore

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