Foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia will be required to have a vehicle entry permit (VEP) from October 1 this year, transport minister Anthony Loke has said. This will be with a VEP tag that will cost RM10, and will be valid for five years.
Owners of foreign-registered vehicles from Singapore may also have the RFID tag installed in Malaysia, or request for the tag to be delivered for the user’s self-installation, Loke said.
This regulation will apply to both entry points to the country; at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) in Tambak, Johor, as well as the CIQ Complex at the Sultan Abu Bakar building at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link.
While the RM10 fee for the VEP RFID tag is cheaper than the RM35 RFID tag used by Malaysians for toll fare, the former will also incur a collection agent service fee of RM29.50, which then makes it slightly more expensive than the tag for Malaysian users of the RFID tag.
The VEP RFID tag can then be used for toll fare payment through RFID lanes at toll plazas, and the road charge (RC) will also be payable through the VEP RFID tag and Touch ‘n Go eWallet, which is a fee of RM20 per entry.
“All foreign vehicle owners are encouraged to register, install and activate their VEP RFID tags within the next four months before October. This is to avoid any issues when traveling by foreign vehicle between the two countries in the foreseeable future,” the transport minister said.
Drivers of foreign vehicles from Singapore who are entering, or have already entered Malaysia and who fail to obtain the VEP RFID tag after the October 1 deadline will have committed an offence under Section 66H(7) of the Road Transport Act 1987, and those found guilty will be compounded or receive a fine of up to RM2,000, or face imprisonment for up to six months under Section 119 (2) of the same act, he added.
The road transport department (JPJ) will have full authority to deny vehicles entry into Malaysia if these do not have the VEP RFID tag after the enforcement date. The department will also have the authority to prevent foreign vehicles from leaving the country should there be unresolved issues, such as unpaid fines or traffic summonses, among others, under the Road Transport Act 1987, the minister added.
The decision to begin enforcement of VEP RFID tag use from October was to allow ample time for owners of foreign-registered vehicles to register and install their tags, according to Loke.
“Based on records, there are currently over 200,000 foreign vehicles who have applied for VEP but only 70,000 have activated their RFID tags. As such, 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 said.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.