KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 9): Vehicle Entry Permits (VEPs) will only be implemented next year as enforcement has been delayed due to technical issues, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
“There have been issues with the installation of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system by the vendor.
“From what we understand, the system is unable to cope with the cars and vehicles that are supposed to have the RFID installed,” Channel News Asia reported the Minister as saying at a press conference today.
Loke said the deferment would ensure all Singaporean vehicle owners have ample time to prepare for VEP’s implementation.
He observed a meeting had been held with the Malaysian Road Transport Department, and expects a new mechanism to be finalised at the soonest. “The new mechanism will serve to make it easier for all vehicles to install RFID,” he added.
Once the VEP is in place, Loke said foreign vehicles without the RFID could still enter Malaysia but might be subject to a fine upon exit.
On Sept 23, the Transport Ministry said it would defer the enforcement of vehicle entry permits (VEPs) on all outbound traffic at both Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) in Johor during peak-hour traffic operations until further notice.
In 2017, the Government announced that foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia would need a VEP as part of the country's efforts to tackle car theft and cloning syndicates, as well as to prevent vehicles with outstanding fines from leaving.