Malaysia’s long-awaited full enforcement of its Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) rules kicked off at midnight on 1 July, and within just 15 minutes, about 15 Singapore-registered vehicles had already been flagged down at Johor Bahru’s Bangunan Sultan Iskandar checkpoint.
By the end of the first hour, at least 10 drivers were fined RM300 (S$91) each for failing to register or activate their VEPs, marking a swift start to what authorities describe as a long-overdue crackdown.
Source: MY SG Road Trip – Eat, Play, Stay Malaysia! on Facebook
Among the earliest to be penalised was 19-year-old Singaporean Safir Farhan, who was driving his family into Johor Bahru for a late-night meal.
“I foresaw it coming,” the student told The Straits Times. “But I wasn’t really expecting it to be this big.”
After being stopped, he was fined RM300 (S$91), which he had to pay on the spot via a Road Transport Department (JPJ) mobile van, causing a 15-minute delay to his supper run.
Source: SGRV on Facebook
To ease congestion at the already-busy Causeway and Second Link crossings, the JPJ deployed 55 officers to conduct VEP checks away from the immediate checkpoint zones.
Roadblocks were set up near Bangunan Sultan Iskandar, where foreign vehicles without valid VEPs were swiftly pulled over and fined.
Source: SG Kaypoh 人！ on Facebook
Payments can be made cashlessly via JPJ counters, mobile units, or online through MyEG.
The full rollout of the RFID-linked VEP requirement comes after nearly seven years of preparation and delays. Under the current rules, all foreign-registered private vehicles must have a valid VEP tag fixed on their vehicles before crossing into Malaysia.
“We have given enough time,” said JPJ director-general Aedy Fadly Ramli on 1 July.
“From July 1, if they come in without a registered and fixed VEP, we will issue summonses.”
Even those who say they’re entering just to settle their VEP matters won’t be spared.
Source: SGRV on Facebook
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s VEP-RFID tag collection centre in Danga Bay has gone into round-the-clock mode to help drivers comply, 8world reported.
It previously operated from just 9am to 5pm daily.
By 1.45am on 1 July, CNA reported that more than 30 Singaporean drivers were already queuing outside the centre to resolve their VEP registrations.
Originally announced in 2017, the VEP rollout was plagued by repeated delays until it officially launched on 1 October 2024. Since then, there’s been a grace period where only warnings were issued.
Source: Patricia Wong on Facebook
That window closed on 1 July 2025. Now, it’s a full-scale operation.
The RFID-linked VEP system enables Malaysian authorities to track foreign vehicles, issue traffic summonses, and even block exit at the border until unpaid fines are cleared.
Also read: S’pore vehicles without VEP tag still allowed to enter JB on 1 Oct, but will be warned
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Featured image adapted from SGRV on Facebook and MY SG Road Trip – Eat, Play, Stay Malaysia! on Facebook.