KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia plans to charge RM20 (S$7.60) in vehicle entry permits (VEP) for foreign-registered vehicles coming in from Singapore from around the middle of next year, a senior official was quoted as saying yesterday.

Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said the imposition of the fee was approved by Prime Minister Najib Razak in July.

"The Transport Ministry is working out details of the VEP's implementation at the two entry-points in Johor, which is the Causeway and the Second Link, before it is enforced," he was quoted as saying yesterday by New Straits Times.

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

The VEP plan had to be postponed "as there are detailed preparations to be done, including the installation of special devices", Datuk Abdul Aziz was quoted by NST as saying in Batu Pahat, Johor.

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 will pay $40 for a monthly permit, four times the $10 previously.

Mr Abdul Aziz said yesterday that Malaysia is also mulling over charging VEP on foreign-registered vehicles coming in from Thailand and Brunei. He did not say whether vehicles coming in from Indonesia's Kalimantan in Sabah and Sarawak would be similarly charged.

The VEP rates at entry points from Thailand and Brunei will be announced once Johor's system is up and running smoothly, he added.