The VEP, or Vehicle Entry Permit, is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag designed to monitor foreign vehicles and check if their drivers have any unpaid traffic fines in Malaysia.
From 1990 to June 2024, drivers from Singapore accumulated over 35,000 unpaid fines, amounting to RM3.5 million, according to Malaysian police.
Recently, Loke announced the conclusion of a grace period during which motorists who hadn’t applied for the VEP received warning notices.
In May, Malaysia declared that all vehicles registered outside the country entering via land from Singapore would need to have VEPs starting in October 2024.
After this announcement, Singaporean drivers rushed to register their cars for the VEP, causing a backlog in applications and frustration due to delays in receiving their RFID tags.
Just four days before the VEP regulations were to take effect, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) revealed that the implementation would be “carried out in phases” and cars from Singapore that had not installed VEP tags by the October 1 deadline would still be permitted to enter Malaysia.
Since then, 52,012 vehicles from Singapore have been randomly checked, and 2,245 reminder notices have been sent to owners who still need to register for a VEP, as reported by the ministry on Wednesday.
The Malaysian government had warned that drivers who do not install a VEP could face fines of up to RM2,000 or potentially serve a six-month jail term.
