PUTRAJAYA, June 4 — The Vehicle Entry Permit system for Singaporean vehicles entering Malaysian borders will take full effect starting July 1, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced today.

The VEP, introduced on October 1 last year, was initially enforced in phases, starting with reminder notices to Singapore-registered vehicle owners who had yet to register for the permit.

“[Starting July 1] the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will issue summonses to foreign vehicle owners who have not registered or activated their VEP,” Loke said.

Currently, motorcycles are temporarily exempt from the VEP requirement, though the government plans to make it mandatory in the future.

The VEP system was first mooted in 2017 to combat cross-border crimes like car theft. as well as curtailing widespread road rules violations by Singaporean car owners who often escaped enforcement.

With the VEP in place, all individual Singaporean cars entering Johor can be traceable. Loke said the system will allow regulators to prevent Singaporeans with outstanding traffic summonses from leaving the country until they are cleared.

As of June this year, 194,507 RFID tags have been installed and activated, according to the ministry’s estimates. The RFID tag acts as the identity card for each car.

Loke said some 36,000 Singaporean cars have yet to install the tags, which will constitute an offence once the VEP system takes full effect next month.

“The offence will be compoundable at RM300. They can challenge it if they want but (if they lose) the court could fine them up to RM2,000,” the minister said.

Until the summon is paid or the RFID tag is installed, offenders will not be allowed to leave the country. Loke said the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will only accept non-cash payment as a way to curb bribery. Summonses can be paid either at a JPJ counter or online via the myEG platform.

Currently, motorcycles are temporarily exempt from the VEP requirement, though the government plans to make it mandatory in the future.

Company vehicles will also be exempted from the VEP system for the next few months, Loke said without giving a definite timeline.

He said the leeway period is meant to give businesses more time to adapt. Up to 2,660 RFID tags have been issued for business vehicles up to June, according to MOT data.

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