KLUANG: The implementation of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP), which was suppose to start next month, has been postponed to resolve issues related to vehicle entry requirements at both the Singapore and Thai border.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said that matters pertaining to regulations that will be imposed on foreign-registered vehicles under the VEP needed to be ironed out before it could take effect.
"Currently, Malaysia is only imposing a RM20 (S$6.61) Road Charge (RC) on foreign-registered vehicles from Singapore, entering through the southern land entry points.
"We still need more time to standardise regulations that are related to the entry of foreign vehicles entering the country from Singapore and Thailand before the VEP can be implemented.
"Once the standardisation of regulations are finalised, Malaysia will impose the RM20 Road Charge at the country's entry point in Thailand simultaneously with the implementation of the VEP," said Liow after attending a meet-the-people's event with the MCA president in Paloh.
The implementation of the VEP at Johor's two land entry points has been deferred for a few times since 2015 due to the low number of foreign motorists registered for the VEP as well as technical issues with its systems.
As an automated vehicle registration system, the VEP is part of ongoing efforts by the Malaysian government to improve border control and monitoring.
The system utilises a card-swiping system and is meant to collect data at entry points which can be used for strategic planning, management and efficient enforcement purposes.
Among other things, the VEP system will record details of foreign vehicle owners, and monitor if they had overstayed and curb the cloning of vehicles.
The RC, which is the RM20 fee that goes together with the VEP, has been imposed on all privately-owned foreign vehicles owners entering the country via the Causeway and Second Link in Johor since November last year.
Singapore currently imposes a S$35 (RM106.24) VEP charge for foreign vehicles and another S$6.50 (RM19.73) reciprocal road charge for foreign vehicles entering the republic.
Liow said that issues involving the VEP, which would gradually be expanded to all 12 entrances to Malaysia in stages, could be resolved by early next year.
He said the government was expected to expand the RM20 RC at its border with Thailand in the future, and this charge will be imposed simultaneously with the implementation of the VEP nationwide.
"We are still confident that the VEP will be implemented at all entry points early next year after the regulatory issues are resolved," said Liow.