Starting October 1, all foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore must have a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP). This requirement will be enforced at two checkpoints in Johor, namely the Sultan Iskandar Building and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex.
This was announced by Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke at a press conference in Putrajaya on May 28. He stated that all owners of foreign vehicles are required to register, install and activate their VEP RFID tags within the next four months. This four-month period is aimed at preventing a surge in travel between the two countries.
These tags will help the Malaysian government track foreign vehicles entering or leaving the country and prevent vehicle theft.
To obtain the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, vehicles must be registered and a fee of RM10 must be paid. Owners who violate this requirement can be fined up to MYR2,000 or six months in jail.
Registrants can choose to bring their vehicles to Malaysia to have the tags affixed, or send them to be affixed by themselves.
Loke mentioned that over 200,000 vehicle owners have applied for the tag, but only 70,000 have activated it.
Owners of motorcycles, commercial vehicles and government vehicles are also required to register for the VEP, although tag installation for these vehicle types will take place later.
The VEP-RFID tag displays the unique serial number of the registered vehicle and is equipped with a chip and antenna. Once activated, this tag can be used to pay a RM20 road charge to enter Johor Bahru and tolls on Malaysian highways. The tag is usually attached to the front lights of registered vehicles and loses its functionality if removed.
Currently, foreign-registered private vehicles are charged RM20 each time they enter Malaysia, while motorcyclists are exempt from this fee.
In April 2019, the Malaysian government initially announced a similar plan, but faced implementation delays due to issues with the installation of the VEP-RFID tags. In January 2020, the government again announced a temporary delay while it sought solutions to facilitate the registration of Singaporean vehicles with the tags.
Now, the plan is being reintroduced with hopes for successful implementation.
