S’pore vehicles without VEP tag still allowed to enter JB on 1 Oct, but will be warned

S’pore vehicles without VEP will be reminded as they enter JB from 1 Oct: M’sian authorities

As Singapore drivers rush to get a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) before the looming 1 Oct deadline, Malaysia has said those without one will still be allowed to enter Johor Bahru (JB) on that day.

However, they will be reminded to install a VEP and issued a warning.

VEP enforcement implemented in phases from 1 Oct

In a statement posted on Facebook on Friday (27 Sept), Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) said the VEP enforcement will be implemented in “phases”.

Come 1 Oct, all vehicles from Singapore without a VEP may still enter Malaysia “as usual”, the JPJ director-general added.

It was previously said that the VEP, which includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, would be strictly enforced on 1 Oct at both JB checkpoints — Sultan Iskandar Building and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex.

Vehicles without VEP on 1 Oct will be reminded

While tag-less Singapore private vehicles will still be allowed in, their owners will be “reminded” as they enter to immediately register, install and activate their RFID tag, JPJ said.

Before leaving Malaysia, they will also be issued a “warning notice” if they do not have a VEP tag yet.

They can get theirs at any of the three VEP collection centres located in JB and the VEP Collection Centre in Woodlands, Singapore.

As of 25 Sept, 62,635 Singaporean private vehicles have activated their VEP tags, JPJ noted.

Johor Chief Minister seen at collection centre

Previously, there was only one centre in JB for tag collection, but two additional centres opened on 22 Sept, JPJ said.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to more long queues at these centres.

Typically hands-on Johor Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi was seen at one of these centres reassuring those in queue that he will “sort this out”.

The TikTok video posted on Friday also showed him being told by an applicant that they didn’t get a reply three months after sending an email.

He was also seen talking on the phone with an unidentified person, saying:

You cannot wait. This is the image of my state, you know.

1 Oct deadline for VEP announced on 28 May

Initially set to be enforced in 2019, the VEP implementation for foreign-registered vehicles was delayed multiple times due to installation issues.

The 1 Oct deadline was then announced on 28 May, sparking a scramble among Singaporean drivers to register.

To register for a VEP-RFID tag, vehicle owners can visit the Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) website to sign up for an account.

Priced at RM10 (S$2.90) each, the tags have a validity period of five years.

Those found driving a foreign vehicle without a VEP may receive a fine of up to RM2,000 (S$575.67) or a jail term of up to six months.

Also read: ‘There will be no U-turn’: M’sia committed to implementing VEP for foreign vehicles from 1 Oct

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from Ron Lee on Facebook and Wikimedia Commons.