Malaysians were left feeling anxious and confused after a new ‘No Walking’ sign was erected on the Malaysian side of the Causeway.
This is because thousands of Malaysians often travel on foot to Singapore across the land crossing, and the sign could potentially pose multiple problems for them.
The incident was first brought to light in a Facebook video on Apr 9, where several workers were seen erecting the ‘No Walking’ sign located nearer to Johor’s side of the Causeway.
Several photos shared online showed a closer look of the sign, where it was placed not far from a sign telling motorists that the speed limit was 50km/h.
However, in true Malaysian fashion, multiple pedestrians were seen walking along the Causeway yesterday morning (Apr 13) despite the sign.
What are the rules actually?
The matter has since garnered widespread attention, with many netizens, believed to be Malaysians, protesting against the sign’s existence.
A handful slammed the authorities for making what was already a difficult journey for many even harder as many rely on walking to Singapore when traffic gets bad.
Many also asked whether fines will be issued if they were caught walking along the Causeway.
One pedestrian told Shin Min Daily News that he walked along the Causeway on Sunday (Apr 12) as he simply wanted to enjoy the scenery.
However, he said in retrospect, he would’ve opted for the bus had he known walking was prohibited.
Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen also commented on the issue, saying that walking along the Causeway had always been illegal, but the rules were never enforced.
He added that he had long called for a sheltered sidewalk to be built as a safer alternative, but it has fallen on deaf ears so far.
Different sign in Singapore
Adding on to the confusion was the fact that when one crosses into Singapore’s side of the Causeway, the ‘No Walking’ sign is nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a sign telling pedestrians not to jaywalk is spotted, suggesting that walking along the Causeway is only limited to Malaysia’s side of the land crossing.
Whether or not the ‘No Walking’ rule will be enforced, we’ll just have to wait and see!
On a side note, the Causeway has been a hotspot for accidents, with some unfortunately losing their lives as a result:
