In forceUpdated to 30 Sep 2026

Contents

Cross-Border Railways (Border Control Co-location) Act 2026 · Updated to 30 Sep 2026 · Part 4 · Border Clearance and Railway Security Checks by Singapore in Malaysia

25. Application of Singapore border control laws in Singapore designated area

Feedback & support

(1)

The provisions of any Singapore border control law —

(a)

providing for the conduct of border clearance or railway security checks or preparatory work by a Singapore border protection service officer; or

(b)

containing prohibitions and restrictions on the import of Singapore controlled items,(except the Immigration Act 1959, the Customs Act 1960 and the Infectious Diseases Act 1976) apply within any Singapore designated area of a cross‑border railway at which pre‑clearance procedures are carried out subject to the modifications in this section and section 26.

(2)

A Singapore border control law mentioned in subsection (1) affecting an individual who is entering or arriving or has entered or arrived in Singapore, or any goods that are about to be or are recently imported into Singapore, extends to apply to —

(a)

any individual who is travelling to Singapore on a pre‑cleared train journey on a cross‑border railway and arrives or is due to arrive at a Singapore designated area (which is outside Singapore) of the cross‑border railway; and

(b)

any goods worn or carried or apparently in the possession or immediate control of an individual mentioned in paragraph (a).

(3)

To be clear, nothing in this section authorises the collection, within any Singapore designated area of a cross‑border railway, of any taxes, customs duties or excise duties on any goods imported into the customs territory.

(4)

In this section —

“customs duties”, “customs territory” and “excise duties” have the meanings given by section 3(1) of the Customs Act 1960;

“pre-clearance procedures” and “pre‑cleared train journey” have the meanings given by section 36D of the Immigration Act 1959.

Terms defined in s 3

border clearance
Defined · s 3
“border clearance” includes to exercise CIQ powers concerning the admission into Malaysia from Singapore or vice versa of people and goods travelling by cross‑border train on a cross‑border railway bound for peninsular Malaysia from Singapore or bound for Singapore from peninsular Malaysia, as the case may be;
Open s 3
conduct
Defined · s 3
“conduct”, as a verb, means —(a)to do an act or omit to do an act —(i)on a single occasion; or(ii)on a number of occasions over a period of time; or(b)to both do an act and omit to do an act —(i)on a single occasion; or(ii)on a number of occasions over a period of time;
Open s 3
cross‑border railway
Defined · s 3
“cross‑border railway” means a railway that —(a)has a railway network with a terminus in Singapore and runs to any part of peninsular Malaysia; and(b)is constructed under the Cross‑Border Railways Act 2018;
Open s 3
goods
Defined · s 3
“goods” means movable property of any kind and, without limiting the generality of the expression, includes any creature, plant, money, thing, document, vessel and aircraft;
Open s 3
preparatory work
Defined · s 3
“preparatory work” means work that is preparatory to conducting border clearance or railway security checks;
Open s 3
railway security checks
Defined · s 3
“railway security checks” means carrying on any ordinary checking mentioned in section 5(1) or special checking mentioned in section 5(2) for the purpose of safeguarding against any railway security incident associated with a cross‑border railway;
Open s 3
Singapore border control law
Defined · s 3
“Singapore border control law”, for a cross‑border railway, means any written law specified in the relevant Schedule relating to the cross‑border railway, being a law connected with immigration, customs, health, veterinary and phytosanitary controls, consumer protection or transport;
Open s 3
Singapore border protection service officer
Defined · s 3
“Singapore border protection service officer” means an individual who is an employee of the Singapore Government or a Singapore public sector agency and performing duties in any of the Singapore border protection services, and includes a health officer appointed under section 4(1) of the Infectious Diseases Act 1976;
Open s 3
Singapore designated area
Defined · s 3
“Singapore designated area”, for a cross‑border railway, means an area in peninsular Malaysia designated in a map by the Malaysian Government and the Singapore Government under the treaty relating to the cross‑border railway to be the designated area for Singapore in respect of that cross‑border railway;
Open s 3
train
Defined · s 3
“train” means a vehicle (with or without wheels) of a kind that operates on a railway and is used or capable of being used —(a)as a means of transport of passengers or cargo, or both passengers and cargo; or(b)for movement on the railway in order to maintain the railway; Examples Any train and rolling stock, coaches, wagons, maintenance or engineering vehicles or other railway equipment that is designed for movement along a line of railway. Any locomotive, engine, track car, tender, flanger and railway crane.
Open s 3