SEGAMAT • The new road charge levied on foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia from the Singapore side will also be implemented at other entry points, Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said, insisting that his government does not discriminate against Singapore.

"There is no discrimination. We will impose the road charge not only at our border with Singapore, but also our borders with Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia with a similar charge of RM20 (S$6.60) per car," Datuk Seri Liow told reporters yesterday, according to state news agency Bernama.

"Singapore has been charging RC (road charge) on us for decades. We are only about to start now," Mr Liow was quoted as saying.

He was responding to a question on Singapore's Transport Ministry warning that it will consider matching the road charge if it finds the levy to be discriminatory against Singapore-registered vehicles.

The warning came hours after Mr Liow announced on Friday the launch of the road charge scheme from Tuesday. The minister said yesterday his counterpart in Singapore had been notified in advance, reported Bernama.

An average of 20,000 Singapore-registered vehicles enter Malaysia daily via the Causeway and the Second Link. They pay $13 for a return trip to Malaysia, including charges at the Singapore checkpoint. Malaysian cars entering Singapore get 10 free Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) days, before incurring the $35 per day charge.

Calls by Malaysian politicians for the country to levy a charge on Singapore cars entering the country gained traction after Singapore raised the VEP from $20 in 2014.

Yesterday, Mr Liow said the Johor state government will get 25 per cent or RM5 from the new RM20 charge imposed on foreign-registered vehicles from Singapore, refuting the opposition's claim that the state government will incur a loss under the scheme.