SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Transport is studying Malaysia's new levy on foreign-registered vehicles going into the country from Singapore, and will decide on a response "in due course", it said on Monday.

"We note amongst other things that it will not be uniformly applied at all of Malaysia's land borders," said a spokesman.

Malaysian newspaper New Straits Times reported on Saturday that Malaysia plans to charge a RM20 (S$7.60) in vehicle entry permit (VEP) at two entry points in Johor, at the Causeway and the Second Link. It will kick in from around the middle of next year.

Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi told the paper that the imposition of the fee was approved by Prime Minister Najib Razak in July. He also said that Malaysia is mulling over charging VEP on foreign-registered vehicles coming in from Thailand and Brunei.

Malaysia's Transport Ministry had earlier said the VEP charge will not be more than RM50 per entry.

The latest development came after several rounds of fee hikes by Singapore and Malaysia. A round trip to Malaysia using the Causeway now costs about $13.10 - more than five times the cost before revisions by the two sides on Oct 1. The cost of a similar trip using the Second Link in Tuas remains unchanged at $12.40.

Singapore charges $35 VEP a day for four-wheel vehicles, up from $20 before Aug 1.

Drivers of goods vehicles pay $40 for a monthly permit, four times the $10 previously.