50 warnings issued to S’pore vehicles entering M'sia without VEP
JOHOR BAHRU – Malaysia has issued a total of 50 warnings to owners of Singapore-registered cars entering Malaysia for failing to apply for Vehicle Entry Permits (VEP), since enforcement began on Oct 1, said Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Speaking at a press conference at the Malaysian Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Johor Bahru on Oct 3, Mr Loke said that a total of 112,658 VEP tags have been issued, of which more than 75,000 have been installed and activated.
He said a total of 678 cars were stopped and checked by Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers so far at both crossings from Singapore into Johor, namely at the Causeway and the Second Link.
Warning notices were only issued to vehicle owners who have not yet applied for a VEP. Those who have applied for the permit but not completed installation of the VEP radio frequency identification (RFID) tags on their vehicles will not receive warning notices.
Affected motorists were notified via warnings flashed at immigration checkpoints booths as their passports were checked or received warnings on paper and through the MDGS application on their phones.
Unverified photographs of Singaporean motorists receiving paper warning slips have surfaced on social media since enforcement began on Oct 1.
Some users, who said that they have not yet applied for a VEP, or have not yet had the tags installed on their cars, claimed that they were told to turn back to Singapore after officers did checks on their vehicles. The Straits Times was unable to verify these claims.
In May, it was announced that all foreign-registered vehicles entering the country by land from Singapore must have VEPs from Oct 1.
But on Sept 27, the JPJ said foreign-registered vehicles which have yet to install VEP tags will still be allowed to enter the country from Singapore, and enforcement will be implemented in phases.
The VEP comes with an RFID tag, which allows the Malaysian authorities to identify foreign-registered vehicles using the country’s roads, and track the vehicle’s traffic offences and summonses.
Under the rules, motorists of non-Malaysia-registered vehicles can be denied entry into the country or fined up to RM2,000 if found without a valid VEP.
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