KUALA LUMPUR – Beginning October 1, 2024, all foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore by land will be required to use a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP). This regulation will apply to motorists entering Johor’s checkpoints at the Sultan Iskandar Building and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex via the Causeway and Second Link, respectively. Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced the enforcement at a press conference in Putrajaya on May 28.
The VEP, which must be renewed every five years, was initially announced in 2017. The scheme aims to monitor the number of foreign vehicles entering Malaysia, prevent car theft, and deter car-cloning syndicates.
In April 2019, the Malaysian government declared that mandatory registration for foreign vehicles entering from Singapore would commence on October 1 of that year. However, enforcement was postponed in October 2019 due to issues with the installation of the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag required for the VEP. In January 2020, Minister Loke reiterated that the system was on hold as the ministry sought ways to simplify the registration process for Singaporean vehicles.
According to Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) website, motorists can register online by providing details of their vehicle, owner, and driver. Car owners may also appoint a representative to register on their behalf. Once the information is verified, registrants will receive a confirmation email, which they can present at designated VEP collection counters in Johor Bahru to obtain their VEP-RFID tags. The processing fee for the tag is RM10 (S$2.90).
Currently, a road charge of RM20 is imposed on foreign-registered private cars each time they enter Malaysia. However, motorcyclists are exempt from this road charge. The enforcement of the VEP is a crucial step in enhancing vehicle security and managing the influx of foreign vehicles into Malaysia, particularly from neighboring Singapore.