Singapore vehicles entering Johor must have entry permit from Oct

Those travelling via Causeway, Second Link without VEP-RFID tag may be denied entry

- Lok Jian Wen

All foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore by land will be required to use a vehicle entry permit (VEP) from Oct 1.

This will apply to motorists entering both Johor checkpoints at the Sultan Iskandar Building via the Causeway and the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex via the Second Link, said Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke at a press conference in Putrajaya on May 28.

"All foreign vehicle owners are encouraged to register, install and activate their VEP-RFID tags within the next four months," he said, referring to a radio frequency identification tag required for the permit.

"This four-month period would help prevent any sort of sudden mad rush of vehicle owners travelling between the two countries, which would cause unnecessary traffic congestion," he was quoted as saying in The Star.

The minister said more than 200,000 Singapore vehicles have been registered with the VEP system, but only 70,000 have their tags activated.

Malaysia's Road Transport Department (JPJ) has the authority to deny entry to foreign vehicles without the tag, he added.

Those who enter or are already in Malaysia but fail to obtain the tag after Oct 1 also risk fines of up to RM2,000 (S$575) or a jail term for violating Malaysia's Road Transport Act.