JOHOR BARU: With two months to go until the enforcement of the vehicle entry permit (VEP) at the Malaysia-Singapore border, the government is expecting to receive another 50,000 applications from Singapore vehicle owners.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said there was a surge of applications after he announced on May 28 that the VEP would be enforced on Oct 1.
From May 28 until July 31, a total of 58,791 applications were made through the portal and physical counters, he said.
“Out of the total, 19,640 applications were completed, with the VEP tags successfully collected or posted to the applicants,” he said after visiting the VEP collection centre at Danga Bay here yesterday.
He added that 11,435 applications were in the process of getting approval and the figures would change daily as more applications were coming in.
He noted that about 40% of the applications could not be processed due to insufficient documents, leading to a delay in the approval process.
“This means that the applicants did not submit the required documents such as the car owner’s certificate of insurance, vehicle certificate of entitlement and owner’s identity card.
“These are important documents for the application and we cannot proceed to the next stage without the complete supporting documents,” he said.
Loke said many Singaporeans preferred visiting the VEP collection centre in person after pre-registering online, as they could complete the application process on the spot.
At the centre, the applicant can collect their VEP radio frequency identification card (RFID) tag upon successful application, and have it fitted on their car by the vendor’s staff, said Loke.
The minister added that vehicle owners only needed to pay RM10 for the RFID tag, which is valid for five years, and RM29.50 for service charge.
“With two months to go until the implementation date, I have asked the vendor to add manpower and extend its operation hours to cater to the demand.
“We noticed many people also visit the collection centre for enquiries, so I have also asked the vendor to work with its Singapore partners to open a counter in the island republic for this purpose,” he said.
Permit, please: Loke (centre) pointing to the VEP-RFID tag affixed to the windshield of a Singaporean-owned vehicle at the Danga Bay VEP Collection Centre in Johor Baru. — Bernama
From Oct 1, anyone driving a foreign-registered motor vehicle without a VEP can be fined up to RM2,000 or imprisoned for up to six months upon conviction.
Asked about the enforcement aspect of the VEP implementation, Loke said he would visit Johor again when Oct 1 nears and speak about the enforcement plans.
“Our intention is not to scare (Singaporeans), we welcome them to visit Johor and enjoy their time here. We just ask for them to follow our regulations.
“We know there are technical issues and we are trying to facilitate and simplify the process,” he added.
Upon implementation of the VEP, Singapore vehicles would be scanned upon entry and exit, and continue paying the existing Road Charge of RM20 per entry.
At present, the Singapore government enforces VEP for Malaysian-registered vehicles as well.
Singapore requires Malaysian motorists to have a valid VEP for the duration of their stay in the island republic.
Malaysians entering Singapore with a vehicle are required to apply on the republic’s Land Transport Authority’s One Motoring website and submit documents such as their passport, vehicle registration certificate and vehicle insurance.
Singapore VEP fees are waived for the first 10 days but motorists are required to pay S$35 (RM119.30) each day the car is in Singapore thereafter.
