Singaporean suggests giving expired VEPs a one-year grace period to renew so that the VEP team can speed up new VEP application process

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man has suggested a “one-year grace period” for expired Vehicle Entry Permits (VEP) to improve the renewal process.

In a letter to the New Straits Times, Brian Lin suggested this grace period would help the VEP team focus on new applications, speeding up the process and reducing delays.

Mr Lin explained that many expired VEP holders still have valid RFIDs (Radio-frequency identification) linked to their Touch ‘n Go e-wallets, which he noted still works even after the VEP expires.

He questioned why the renewal process requires staff to deregister expired permits, a step which made him ask, “Why is this needed for a renewal request?” He added that this should be made clear in the renewal notification.

Mr Lin shared his experience, saying he requested to renew his VEP in May 2024, followed up again in June, and only had it deregistered this month.

He noted that the minister’s “tough comments” only led to unnecessary queries, which further overwhelmed the VEP email system and slowed things down.

He added that many Malaysians working in Singapore own Singapore-registered vehicles and face the same renewal issues, which adds more pressure to the system.

He suggested creating a ticketing system for email inquiries to address these issues. This way, applicants don’t send multiple emails for the same issue, reducing the number of emails the VEP team has to handle and speeding up responses.

Mr Lin also pointed out the unclear “terminology” in the renewal notifications. He received a notice asking for a “COE document” but wasn’t sure what that meant. He said this lack of clarity causes confusion and wastes time for both applicants and the staff processing the requests.

“I hope the relevant authorities can look into this to ensure the system works effectively in the long run,” he said.

The VEP is required for all foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia by land from Singapore. The renewal process has caused frustration for both Singaporeans and Malaysians working in Singapore who have bought Singapore-registered cars.

Mr Lin pointed out that mass registrations for VEPs began in April 2019 when the Malaysian Transport Ministry set the deadline on Oct 1, 2019.

The same happened in May 2024 when the ministry set a new renewal deadline, creating an “unnecessary workload” for the VEP team.

On Sept 27, Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (RTD) announced that foreign vehicles without a VEP RFID tag can still enter the country, as the new rules will be rolled out “in phases” starting Oct 1 due to ongoing issues with the VEP process.

Malaysian RTD director-general Aedy Fadly Ramli said that while Singapore drivers can enter Malaysia without a VEP, they will receive reminders to register and activate their RFID tags at entry points.

Those leaving Malaysia without a valid VEP will also be given a warning to comply with the new regulations before they exit the country. /TISG

Read also: S’poreans poke fun at VEP’s “very flexible rules” as motorists without RFID tags from Oct 1 are still allowed to enter Malaysia but will get a “warning”