JOHOR BARU — Unlike many of his family and friends, Mr Jacob Paul has no plans to work in Singapore, having been put off by the daily gridlock between Johor and the Republic.

“I didn’t hear anything good about the commute, and that puts me off working in Singapore. I have been offered a few positions there, but I would rather not take them as that means I would have to spend a lot of time on the road,” he told TODAY. “Yes, the money is good, but I prefer to spend quality time with my wife and family.”

The 30-year-old, who grew up in Johor, has heard of relatives and friends who make the daily commute to Singapore complain about being stuck in peak-hour traffic jams at the Causeway. Some 300,000 vehicles cross the Causeway daily.

In contrast, the marketing executive with a chemical-based company in Pasir Gudang spends 15 minutes travelling to work from his home, also in Pasir Gudang.

Mr Jacob is among the Johor workers who opt to keep working in the state despite the lure of the stronger Singapore dollar and better job opportunities.

Unlike him, Mr Shanmuga Kumar has spent the past 25 years traversing the Causeway from his home in Taman Pelangi, waking up at 5am to start work on time at 6.30am at an oil and gas company in Singapore.

While he manages to avoid the gridlock in the mornings, the frontline supervisor’s journey back to Johor at 7pm every day is at least an hour’s crawl.

Despite the tiring journey, Mr Shanmuga, 47, has no complaints and no plans to work in Malaysia, citing career opportunities with his employer that he would not get in Johor or Kuala Lumpur.

“I work with an established MNC. I started as a trainee with it and it even funds my studies. Staff welfare is taken care of and there is career progression, so I would not leave,” he said.

Mr Muhammad Zulfadhli Rosli worked with Malaysia Airlines for more than six years as a technician before being retrenched last year as part of the national carrier’s restructuring plan.

The Taman Pelangi resident then decided to come to Singapore, saying the Republic was a good place to work due to its stature as a developed country.

He has been employed as a senior technician with an aerospace company in the Republic for almost a year.

“The aviation industry in Singapore is expanding rapidly. I prefer to get the work and knowledge exposure here as well as contribute my skills from my previous work experience,” he said, adding that the strong Singapore dollar is also an attractive lure.

The 28-year-old said he travels to work by motorcycle daily, waking up at 5.30am to reach his workplace before 8am.

“Frankly speaking, entering Singapore does not take very long because (there are) more than 70 counters to cater to all the motorists,” he said.

However, going from his Singapore office to Johor Baru is a different story. Mr Zulfadhli said the Causeway is packed with motorcyclists, and it takes over two hours to reach home. Despite the congestion, Mr Zulfadhli prefers to stay in Johor Baru due to the lower cost of living.

“I won’t be able to afford the rental of a house in Singapore and the price of renting a room is equivalent to renting a house in JB. Additionally, I’d prefer not to share a house with strangers as I want to have a private life with my family.”