Malaysia's Road Safety Department (JPJ) has issued 1,489 summon notices amounting to RM445,800 (S$136,000) to Singaporean drivers entering Malaysia without a working Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP).

The VEP scheme was fully enforced slightly more than a month ago.

In a Facebook post on Monday (August 4), the department said that many as 14,379 Singaporean vehicles were checked outside the Sultan Iskandar Building Complex (BSI), Sultan Abu Bakar Complex and surrounding areas of Johor Bahru.

This was part of an enforcement operation held from July 1 and August 2 said JPJ Senior Director of Enforcement Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan at a media conference in BSI.

The drivers who were issued fines made up around 10 per cent of the 14,379 vehicles which were checked between that period. 

 

Kifli added that most of the motorists who were fined had failed to install and activate the VEP RFID tag, according to JPJ Johor.

"One of the common excuses given was that they believed the Malaysian government had not yet begun enforcement and it was still in the advocacy stage," he said, reported Bernama.

"Of all the summonses issued, only one individual initially refused to co-operate. However, when enforcement officers wanted to seize the vehicle, the person eventually complied, settled the summons, and proceeded to register for the VEP."

Nearly 90 per cent of Singapore-registered private vehicles have already obtained the VEP by installing and activating the RFID tag, Kifli added.

As of July 31, a total of 277,930 RFID tags had been issued to Singaporean vehicle owners, reported Bernama.

Foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia without a valid VEP risk a RM300 fine, as stipulated under Section 66H(7) of Malaysia's Road Transport Act 1987.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com