The company confirmed that several bus captains had chosen to initiate industrial action and said it remained committed to open communication and a respectful working environment, Bernama reported.

“We understand the vital role our bus captains play in delivering safe and reliable public transport services to the community.

“We want to reassure the public and our passengers that we are actively engaging with the relevant parties to address the situation and reach a constructive resolution,” it said in a statement today.

Causeway Link said it was taking all possible steps to keep essential routes operational and apologised for the inconvenience caused.

“We deeply regret any inconvenience caused to our passengers and appreciate your understanding during this time,” it said.

The strike, which began at 5am yesterday, left thousands of Malaysian workers stranded at the Johor-Singapore border, with videos circulating online showing large crowds at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) in Johor Bahru.

A driver claimed that a new salary scheme, introduced two months ago, had reduced the income of drivers to below RM2,000 a month. He also alleged that the drivers were now required to make five trips each day instead of four.

Human resources minister Steven Sim said the labour department would investigate, noting it was not the first time complaints had been lodged against the company.

In a separate statement, the labour department said two investigation papers had been opened into Causeway Link, with 32 other companies also under probe.