PONTIAN (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - In a statement on Saturday, Malaysia's Transport Ministry said registration for the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP), for foreign-registered vehicles seeking to enter Malaysia, can now be done online via its website at www.jpj.gov.my/vep

For registration, the owner or representative duly appointed by the owner of the foreign-registered vehicle would have to provide information including their personal and car registration details.

The affected categories include private (vehicles owned by individuals, companies or organisations for private usage), commercial (vehicles owned by companies and used to transport goods or persons for hire), and VIP or Diplomat (vehicles owned by governments, consulates or embassies).

After successful registration, the owner will be advised on the collection of an RFID tag that is to be displayed on the vehicle's windshield, at designated Road Transport Department (JPJ) premises.

There will be an administration fee of RM10 (S$3.45) imposed during tag collection, and the VEP is renewable every five years.

"At the moment, only online registration is available in a move to encourage online transactions to make it convenient for registrants," Bernama quoted the statement as saying.

However, the online registration will have to be extended beyond the initial two weeks, as several issues have cropped up since registration started on Saturday (Aug 15).

Johor public works, rural and regional development chairman Hasni Mohammad said that while the VEP implementation would still start on Oct 1, the online registration period will be extended beyond Aug 31.

He said that based on feedback, the JPJ needs to address issues including the online registration forms that are said to be too complicated or ambiguous.

"The two weeks online registration may not be sufficient. There is no point in rushing to register everyone," he told reporters after the Pontian Umno Hari Raya open house here on Sunday.

The VEP is implemented by the Transport Ministry. It will initially involve foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia via Johor, and later on implemented in stages at the other 12 road entry points into Malaysia.

The second phase will cover Thailand, the third phase Brunei and Indonesia, while the fourth phase will cover other designated entry points.