Putrajaya halts VEP enforcement at two Johor checkpoints

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Putrajaya has stopped Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) checks on foreign-registered cars at two Johor border checkpoints, reporters reported.

The report said the Ministry of Transport (MOT) announced this yesterday, citing "several teething problems" last week.

"VEP is suspended now for both peak and non-peak hours," ST quoted an unnamed ministry spokesman as saying.

It added that the (MOT) did not specify when the VEP enforcement will resume.

Reporters reported that the VEP enforcement was slated to begin today, with the system being enforced only on non-peak periods after the MOT announced an initial suspension of the system on September 23, last month.

Malaysia announced in 2017 that all foreign-registered vehicles entering the country will require VEP, which it said was meant to tackle car theft and cloning syndicates as well as prevent vehicles with outstanding fines from leaving the country.

In April, the ministry said that VEP will be enforced from October after the grace period for foreign motorists to install the necessary equipment.

However, Singaporean commuters have raised problems such as difficulty in arranging for the tags to be installed.

Issues such as the lack of appointment slots for equipment installation, unreliable websites and unresponsive helplines added to the frustration to drivers trying to register for VEP.

​The ministry had also announced it will open an additional fitment centre (FC) at KSAB in addition to those at Gelang Patah Southbound RnR, Plaza Angsana open carpark, Pandan RnR and Lima Kedai Toll Plaza in Johor to help with the registration.

MOT is also currently studying the proposal to implement VEP at the Malaysia-Brunei border as well.