SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Tuesday (May 28) that, beginning on Oct 1, 2024, all foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore must have vehicle entry permits (VEP).
This is for the first phase of Malaysia’s enforcement of VEPs, which applies to routes along the Johor Causeway and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link. The second phase will apply to foreign vehicles entering from Thailand at eight border crossing gates.
Mr Loke explained that each VEP tag will be valid for five years and cost RM10 (S$2.87).
Vehicle owners will have the choice of having the tag delivered to them so they can install it themselves or bringing their vehicles to Malaysia and having them installed there.
“All foreign vehicle owners are encouraged to register, install, and activate their VEP RFID tags within the next four months before October,” The Star quotes the Transport Minister.
“This is to avoid any issues when travelling in foreign vehicles between the two countries in the future,” he added.
Failure of the owners of foreign vehicles from Singapore to have VEP RFID tags installed by Oct 1 will be an offence under Section 66H (7) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
This means a fine of up to RM2,000 (S$574) or a jail sentence of up to six months.
Additionally, after Oct 1, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will be given full authority to disallow foreign vehicles with no VEP tags from entering Malaysia.
If foreign vehicles have unresolved issues, such as unpaid fines or traffic summonses, the department can also stop them from leaving Malaysia.
The minister added that full enforcement of VEP tags will begin by Oct 1 to give the owners of foreign vehicles enough time to register their vehicles as well as install the RFID tags,
“According to records, there are currently over 200,000 foreign vehicles applying for VEP, but only 70,000 of them have activated their RFID tags,” he said.
He added that the four-month period allowing foreign vehicle owners “would help prevent any sort of sudden mad rush of vehicle owners travelling between the two countries, which would cause unnecessary traffic congestion.”
In related news, it was announced on Monday (May 27) that from June 1 onwards, Malaysians on their way to Singapore will be allowed to use Quick Response (QR) codes for Immigration clearance at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (KSAB) to facilitate speedier immigration clearance./TISG
Read also: June 1: Malaysians can enter Singapore using QR codes instead of passports for immigration clearance