Lifestyle

M’sia To Defer Vehicle Entry Permit During Peak Hours Because Of Complaints

No Need For Vehicle Entry Permit Into Malaysia During Peak Hours

UPDATE (23 Sep): Malaysia’s transport ministry announced on Monday (23 Sep) that vehicles coming into Malaysia during peak hours will, temporarily, not need a Vehicle Entry Permit.

The decision was made after drivers complained that they had to wait too long to get a permit. There is no news on how the Ministry intends to solve the problem or how long this deferment of the permit system will last.

Back in 2017, the Malaysian authorities announced that all foreign vehicles entering the country would require a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP).

After a delay to “fine-tune” the system, the Malaysian Transport Ministry announced earlier in Oct that the regulation will be enforced from Oct 2019.

As the deadline looms, many Singaporean drivers are still unable to obtain the VEP and are becoming understandably vexed, as driving in without a VEP RFID tag, can result in a S$49.26 (RM150) fine.

What the VEP RFID tag looks like
Source

If you happen to be in this exact predicament, here’s some news that may make you less panicky.

According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), you can apparently use the confirmation slip received from the Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) as a substitute for the actual permit.

Vehicle Entry Permit website received complaints from Singaporeans

The VEP application process is supposed a “simple 3-step action”, according to Malaysia’s Transport Ministry. You need to:

Set up an account and entering the details
Receive a confirmation email
Book and attend an appointment at a Johor office to install RFID tag

However, Singaporeans who are trying to apply for the VEP have found the application process to be plagued by several issues, including:

Lack of appointment slots
Little help from the authorities
Long waiting times

Drivers also complained frequently about the inaccessibility of the website. Many claimed that the website was laggy, and took forever to load.

The website to register for the VEP
Source

You’re ‘safe’ as long as you’ve completed the registration process

In any case, Singaporean drivers who experience difficulties booking an appointment after registering have nothing to worry about.

According to a JPJ official contacted by CNA, drivers who have not received an invitation to book an appointment at the Johor office can still enter Malaysia.

In place of the actual RFID tags, drivers can use their registration confirmation slips as a substitute.

Complete the registration process to avoid getting fined

In summary, as long as you’ve received the confirmation slip, you can continue to drive into Malaysia without getting fined.

Regardless, you’ll still have to visit Malaysia to finish the process and install the RFID tag. If you’ve yet to do so, you can register for a VEP RFID tag here.

For those who visit Malaysia often, do ensure that you’ve at least received your confirmation slip, so you don’t get fined when you visit our neighbour starting next month.

Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.