May 29, 2024
SINGAPORE – All foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore by land will be required to use a vehicle entry permit (VEP) from Oct 1.
This will apply to motorists entering both Johor checkpoints at the Sultan Iskandar Building via the Causeway and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex via the Second Link, said Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke at a press conference in Putrajaya on May 28.
“All foreign vehicle owners are encouraged to register, install and activate their VEP-RFID tags within the next four months,” he said, referring to a radio frequency identification tag required for the permit.
“This four-month period would help prevent any sort of sudden mad rush of vehicle owners travelling between the two countries, which would cause unnecessary traffic congestion,” he was quoted as saying in The Star.
The minister said more than 200,000 Singapore vehicles have been registered with the VEP system, but only 70,000 have their tags activated.
Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) has the authority to deny entry to foreign vehicles without the tag, he added.
Those who enter or are already in Malaysia but fail to obtain the tag after Oct 1 also risk fines of up to RM2,000 (S$575) or a jail term for violating Malaysia’s Road Transport Act.
The JPJ will also have the authority to prevent foreign vehicles with unresolved traffic violations from exiting Malaysia, said Mr Loke.
“These will include unpaid fines or traffic summonses, among many others, under the Road Transport Act,” he said.
The VEP, renewable every five years, was announced in 2017.
The scheme was intended to determine the number of foreign vehicles entering Malaysia, and to prevent car theft and deter car-cloning syndicates.
In April 2019, the Malaysian government announced that it would enforce mandatory registration for foreign vehicles entering from Singapore starting from Oct 1 that year.
But in October 2019, Mr Loke said the enforcement would be postponed due to issues with the installation of the VEP-RFID tag.
In January 2020, he reiterated that the system would be on hold as his ministry worked on finding a way to make it easier for vehicles from Singapore to register for the tag.
Mr Richard Teh, who drives to Johor Bahru once every two months, said he got his tag in 2022.
“The VEP was redundant because it was not enforced. If it is enforced, at least it justifies why we go through the hassle to apply for it,” said the graduate student.
Mr Traisoon Phongket, 39, also got his tag in 2022 after a two-month wait.
The Singapore permanent resident said that his VEP-RFID tag, pasted on his car’s left headlight by an officer at a Danga Bay collection office, is not always detected when he drives through the checkpoint counters.
“Not all gantries can read the tag because of its placement, especially for right-side counters,” he said.
The partner at an architectural design firm also said he is not able to update his road tax and insurance information in the VEP system, so Malaysian officers have advised him to keep his latest documents in his car.
According to JPJ’s website, motorists can sign up online to register details of the vehicle, owner and driver. Car owners can also appoint a representative to register on their behalf.
After the information is verified, registrants will receive a confirmation e-mail, which they can present at designated VEP collection counters in JB to get their tags.
The processing fee for the tag is RM10.
Owners of motorcycles, commercial vehicles and government vehicles must also register for the VEP, but the tags for these vehicles will be introduced only at a later date.
Registrants can choose to take their cars to Malaysia to install the tag, or have it delivered to them for self-installation.
According to the JPJ, the VEP-RFID tag will be printed with the registered vehicle’s unique serial number and contains a chip and an antenna.
Once functional, it can be used to pay the RM20 road charge for entering JB as well as toll fees on Malaysia’s expressways.
Typically pasted on the registered car’s headlamp, the tag will no longer be functional if it is removed.
A road charge of RM20 is currently imposed on foreign-registered private cars each time they enter Malaysia. Motorcyclists are exempt from the road charge.