{"id":1740,"date":"2025-07-01T02:12:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T02:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/malaysias-vep-enforcement-kicks-in-with-10-singapore-drivers-fined-in-first-hour\/"},"modified":"2025-07-01T02:12:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T02:12:14","slug":"malaysias-vep-enforcement-kicks-in-with-10-singapore-drivers-fined-in-first-hour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/malaysias-vep-enforcement-kicks-in-with-10-singapore-drivers-fined-in-first-hour\/","title":{"rendered":"Malaysia&#8217;s VEP enforcement kicks in with 10 Singapore drivers fined in first hour"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div readability=\"156\">\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Traffic was snarled soon after midnight on July 1 as motorists entered Johor Bahru via the Causeway, with the Malaysian authorities commencing full enforcement action on Singapore-registered vehicles entering the country without a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP).<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">As the clock struck 12, 55 officers from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) stationed at the exit road of the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) complex heading toward the state capital started pulling aside cars that did not comply with the new rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Drivers of the private individually owned vehicles entering Johor Bahru without a valid registered and activated VEP face a RM300 (S$91) fine before being allowed to leave the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">&ldquo;I foresaw it (the VEP enforcement) coming, but I wasn&rsquo;t really expecting it to be this big,&rdquo; said 19-year-old Mr Safir Farhan, who was the first motorist to be issued a fine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">The third-year Singaporean vocational institute student was driving the family&rsquo;s car to Johor Bahru for a late supper with his aunt and sister, but the trip was delayed 15 minutes as he had to settle the fine on the spot at a JPJ mobile service van parked on the roadside.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Within the hour, 10 Singapore-registered vehicles were issued summonses, JPJ officers told The Straits Times.<\/p>\n<div class=\"internal-linking-related-contents\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/12-weeks-jail-for-school-it-support-technician-who-took-upskirt-videos-of-teachers\/\" class=\"template-1\"><span class=\"cta\">News :<\/span><span class=\"postTitle\">&lt;div&gt;12 weeks' jail for school IT support technician who took upskirt videos of teachers&lt;\/div&gt;<\/span><\/a><\/div><p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">&ldquo;I had registered for the VEP already and the tag is on its way being delivered to me,&rdquo; Mr Safir said, showing ST the acknowledgement e-mail from JPJ. &ldquo;But we&rsquo;re okay and they&rsquo;re (JPJ) just doing their job,&rdquo; he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">The full enforcement of the rule marks the end of a grace period when vehicles were let off with a warning after the VEP was implemented on Oct 1, 2024.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-image -mx-lg mb-md mt-lg\">\n<figure><figcaption id=\"figcaption\"><span>Singaporean Safir Farhan was the first motorist to be issued a fine at midnight on July 1. ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<!-- -->&nbsp;<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">In May that year, Malaysia&rsquo;s Transport Minister Anthony Loke had said that foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore must have a VEP tag starting from October.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Mr Loke then announced on Oct 4 that enforcement action against motorists without a VEP had yet to begin, and those without the the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag would be given only a warning upon exiting Malaysia, reminding them to apply for the permit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">On June 4, 2025, Mr Loke said &ldquo;ample time&rdquo; had been given since May 2024 for foreign-registered private vehicles to register for the VEP system before entering Malaysia by land from Singapore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">The day after his comments, waves of Singapore motorists showed up at VEP application and installation centres in Singapore and Johor Bahru.<\/p>\n<div class=\"internal-linking-related-contents\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/migrant-acquitted-in-first-trial-over-us-border-military-zones\/\" class=\"template-1\"><span class=\"cta\">News :<\/span><span class=\"postTitle\">Migrant acquitted in first trial over US border military zones<\/span><\/a><\/div><p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">On June 30, when ST visited the TCSens VEP enquiry centre at Danga Bay in Johor Bahru around 8.30pm, there were dozens of Singaporean motorists in the queue seeking assistance for their VEP registration. TCSens is Malaysia&rsquo;s ministry-appointed vendor for handling VEP matters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-image -mx-lg mb-md mt-lg\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-full object-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/thenewpaper\/ec92bd9479a75c0911c1a1e15f653eeb540eca055cf4f4e8dbf7260e1db93aef\/unnamed.jpg?w=450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/thenewpaper\/ec92bd9479a75c0911c1a1e15f653eeb540eca055cf4f4e8dbf7260e1db93aef\/unnamed.jpg?w=225 225w, https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/thenewpaper\/ec92bd9479a75c0911c1a1e15f653eeb540eca055cf4f4e8dbf7260e1db93aef\/unnamed.jpg?w=360 360w, https:\/\/cassette.sphdigital.com.sg\/image\/thenewpaper\/ec92bd9479a75c0911c1a1e15f653eeb540eca055cf4f4e8dbf7260e1db93aef\/unnamed.jpg?w=450 450w\" alt=\"Singapore-registered vehicles seen parked outside the 24-hour TCSens VEP enquiry centre at Danga Bay at 8.30pm on June 30. \" loading=\"eager\"><figcaption id=\"figcaption\"><span>Singapore-registered vehicles seen parked outside the 24-hour TCSens VEP enquiry centre at Danga Bay at 8.30pm on June 30. ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<!-- -->&nbsp;<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Singaporean restaurant owner Jenny Chia, 53 who registered for a VEP in November but has had trouble completing the process, said she arrived at 2pm and was given a queue number hours later. &ldquo;Now&hellip; there&rsquo;s around 70 more people in the queue.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Truck driver Mr Sasman Isnian, 58, who was 15 numbers behind Ms Chia, said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure if I&rsquo;ll wait for this as it&rsquo;s getting late.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">TCSens told ST that the Danga Bay centre will be operating on a 24-hour basis from June 30.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Speaking to the media on July 1, JPJ Director-General Aedy Fadly Ramli said that as of June 29, 248,504 Singapore-registered private individually owned vehicles have signed up for the VEP, with 17 per cent yet to activate the RFID tags. That figure was 231,018 on June 4, according to Mr Loke.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">A further 3,765 company vehicles have been issued the tags, said Datuk Aedy, adding that the JPJ has received 19,690 VEP applications for this category of vehicles so far.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">On June 4, Mr Loke said that company vehicles that have applied for a VEP but have yet to receive the relevant approvals will not be subject to fines. Instead, they will receive a reminder notice and be allowed to exit Malaysia. This is due to the additional steps involved in submitting corporate documentation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">However, company vehicles that have not registered for a VEP must settle any compound fines and complete their VEP registration before being allowed to exit Malaysia, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">&ldquo;The majority of Singaporeans abide by the rules but for only a small number of them, we have to ensure they follow Malaysia&rsquo;s rules,&rdquo; said Mr Aedy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">He added that summonses will be issued to all Singaporean motorists driving privately owned vehicles who have yet to register and install the VEP regardless of excuses, including drivers who claim they are entering Johor Bahru to settle VEP matters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">&ldquo;We have given enough time, in fact VEP was announced seven years ago, and during that time we have made many efforts to encourage Singaporeans to register for it. So from July 1, if they come in without a VEP registered and fixed (on their vehicles), we will issue summonses,&rdquo; said Mr Aedy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">All enforcement operations will be conducted away from border entry points &ndash; the Causeway and Second Link &ndash; to prevent congestion, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Cashless-only payment for the fines can be made at Road Transport Department (JPJ) counters, JPJ mobile counters or online via the MyEG system. The RFID tag enables the Malaysian authorities to identify foreign-registered vehicles on the country&rsquo;s roads and track any outstanding fines for traffic offences, which must be settled before the vehicles exit the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">The enforcement move comes eight years after the VEP plan was first mooted in 2017, and implementation of the system was shelved twice, in 2019 and again in 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-secondary text-18 font-normal leading-1.5 text-grayscale-800\">Singaporean retiree Mr Lee Kim Hock, 70, another driver who was also stopped JPJ officers, said: &ldquo;My VEP is going to be delivered to me in two days. But it&rsquo;s okay, I&rsquo;ll just settle the fine.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div readability=\"32\">\n<p>Harith Mustaffa for The Straits Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><sub><\/sub><\/p>\n<div>Malaysia&rsquo;s VEP enforcement kicks in with 10 Singapore drivers fined in first hour<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Traffic was snarled soon after midnight on July 1 as motorists entered Johor Bahru via the Causeway, with the Malaysian authorities commencing full enforcement action on Singapore-registered vehicles entering the country without a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP). As the clock struck 12, 55 officers from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) stationed at the exit road&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/malaysias-vep-enforcement-kicks-in-with-10-singapore-drivers-fined-in-first-hour\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Malaysia&#8217;s VEP enforcement kicks in with 10 Singapore drivers fined in first hour&rdquo;<\/span> &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jobuzo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}