In a statement released on Sep 27, the Malaysian Road Transport Department announced that foreign-registered vehicles that have not installed their Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) tags by the Oct 1 deadline will still be allowed to enter Malaysia from Singapore. The enforcement of the VEP requirement will be executed in phases, and drivers will be reminded at land borders to register, install, and activate their RFID tags.
Drivers without a VEP will still be able to enter Malaysia as usual, according to JPJ. A warning notice will be issued to vehicle drivers before they leave Malaysia if they have not yet installed their VEP. Singaporean drivers have been facing challenges in securing their VEP ahead of the deadline, with complaints about application snags and long queues at the installation centers in Johor Bahru.
To meet the demand, Malaysia has opened additional centers to install RFID tags in Woodlands and Johor Bahru. As of Sep 25, RFID tags for VEP have been activated for over 60,000 Singapore-registered vehicles. The announcement comes amidst concerns from Singapore drivers over potential enforcement measures and the legality of driving without a VEP after Oct 1, even if registration has been completed.
In May, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that all foreign-registered vehicles entering the country by land from Singapore would require VEPs from Oct 1. Failure to comply may result in fines or jail time. Mr. Loke stated that close to 60,000 applications were received between May 28 and Jul 31, with 40% of them incomplete. It was anticipated that an additional 50,000 VEP applications would be received ahead of the deadline.
Drivers are currently able to book appointments for RFID tag installation at three centers in Malaysia and at the Woodlands office in Singapore. The VEP system has been in place since 2019 but had not been enforced until now. Despite the Oct 1 deadline, Malaysia has decided to allow foreign-registered vehicles without VEP tags to enter the country from Singapore, with enforcement to be carried out in phases.
