Singapore-registered vehicle detained at Johor Bahru checkpoint for suspected illegal cross-border service

SINGAPORE/JOHOR BAHRU: A Singapore-registered vehicle was detained by Malaysia’s Land Transport Department at the Johor Bahru checkpoint for allegedly operating illegal cross-border chartered services, amid ongoing joint enforcement efforts by both Singapore and Malaysia to curb unlicensed cross-border transport operations.

The Johor Border Division of the transport authority announced on its official TikTok page on Tuesday (Oct 7) that an SUV with a Singapore licence plate had been detained at the checkpoint. The vehicle was suspected of providing unauthorised private cross-border transport services. The department added that the car owner has been dealt with under Malaysia’s Road Transport Act 2010.

In its post, the land transport authority urged all motorists, including foreign-registered vehicle owners, to ensure that their documentation is valid and that vehicles are properly insured for the safety of all road users.

“We urge all road users, including those with foreign-registered vehicles, to ensure that all documents submitted are valid and that every vehicle is insured for each other’s safety,” the department advised.

The incident comes amid rising tensions within Malaysia’s transport industry over the presence of Singapore private-hire vehicles operating across the border. On Monday (Oct 6), the Southern Malaysia Private-Hire Vehicle Association took to Facebook to call on Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport to impose an immediate ban on Singapore private-hire cars entering the country. The association argued that swift action was necessary to address growing dissatisfaction among local operators and to protect the livelihoods of Malaysian private-hire drivers.

“The Malaysian Ministry of Transport must take action in the shortest possible time, otherwise it will be difficult to quell the dissatisfaction of the industry,” the association said.

In its statement, the association outlined eight key demands on behalf of local operators. These include immediately banning Singapore private-hire cars from entering Malaysia, initiating the process of legalising cross-border chartered car services within Malaysia, strengthening enforcement and imposing strict penalties on Singapore private-hire cars operating illegally, ensuring parity in law enforcement and policy implementation, stopping the vague attitude of not harming each other and turn to practical action, clarifying the direction and timeline of the Ministry of Transport’s cross-border transportation policy, establishing a bilateral consultation mechanism for cross-border transport, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of local operators.

“We solemnly urge the Ministry of Transport to make a clear decision in the shortest possible time between ‘banning Singapore private-hire cars from entering the country’ and ‘legalising local cross-border chartered cars,’” the association said.