Malaysia yesterday announced that it would defer the enforcement of its Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) during "peak-hour traffic operation" until further notice, citing "several issues", including difficulties in obtaining appointments for the installation of the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.
In a statement, Malaysia's Transport Ministry said that this would affect "all outbound traffic" at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar at Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints, respectively.
Replying to queries by The Straits Times, the ministry said "peak hours" referred to the following:
• Monday to Thursday: 5am to 11am, 7pm to 10pm;
• Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 1pm to 3am
The ministry said it hoped "all foreign vehicle owners will take this opportunity to immediately register and get the RFID tag installed to avoid any difficulties to commute in and out of Malaysia in the future". Registration can be done online at https://vep.jpj.gov.my
Once registered, the vehicle owner will receive an e-mail notification to schedule an appointment for the installation of the VEP-RFID tag.
Owners will need to bring along their vehicles and required documents, such as the VEP confirmation slip, VEP-RFID tag appointment slip, a photocopy of the passport, a copy of the latest insurance cover note and the vehicle registration document issued by the Land Transport Authority.
The ministry also announced that it will open an additional RFID Fitment Centre at Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar, in addition to the four centres in Johor Baru - the Gelang Patah Southbound rest stop, the Plaza Angsana Open Carpark, the Pandan rest stop and the Lima Kedai Toll Plaza.
According to the official website of Malaysia's Road Transport Department, its officers will guide vehicle owners to attach the VEP-RFID tag on the windscreen or headlamp, adding that it is important to place the tag correctly so that it can be detected by the readers installed at every lane in the CIQ Complex.
The VEP will be valid for five years, and vehicle owners are strongly encouraged to renew it six months before the expiry date.
The VEP was first announced in 2017 by the then ruling Barisan Nasional government to identify the number of foreign vehicles entering Malaysia, and also to prevent car theft and to deter car cloning syndicates.
In April, the Malaysian government announced that it would enforce mandatory registration for foreign vehicles entering from Singapore from Oct 1.
Only VEP-registered vehicles would be allowed entry into Malaysia once the permit was implemented, it said. On Sept 2, Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the authorities would first implement the VEP at Malaysia's border with Singapore, and that the ministry was ready to introduce the permit.
