KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian private vehicle owners will no longer need to display their motor vehicle licences (commonly referred to as road tax) on the windscreen or carry a physical copy of their driving licence, effective yesterday (Feb 10).
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said drivers can obtain digital copies of the two documents on the Road Transport Department's (RTD) public portal (public.jpj.gov.my) or mobile application MyJPJ, which can be downloaded from the App Store, Play Store or Huawei App Gallery.
While some motorists hailed the announcement as a convenience, others questioned the move, citing concerns such as accessibility and lack of internet access.
Loke addressed some of the issues raised during the press conference yesterday and in a Facebook post to better inform the public of the new system.
QUESTION (Q): Which group of people will benefit from this exemption?
ANSWER (A): Currently, the exemption applies solely to Malaysian-owned private cars and motorcycles.
Other types of vehicles, such as commercial, company-owned, public service (e.g. e-hailing), and those owned by foreigners, will be included gradually as the implementation is carried out in phases.
Q: Why the need to digitise the system?
A: Transport Minister Anthony Loke yesterday (Feb 10) explained that this would assist in easing congestion and long queues at Road Transport Department (RTD) counters since motorists will no longer need to obtain physical copies from these counters.
Nonetheless, Loke made it clear that this does not imply road users are exempt from paying fees to renew their road tax and license.
Loke further said the digitisation would save the government a total of RM96 million a year, which was previously used for the printing the road tax and driving licence.
"The amount can be channelled to improve the application and other needs," he said, adding that the digitisation move had the received full support of the Finance Ministry and did not require any additional allocation.
Q: MyJPJ app: How does it work?
A: Loke recommended the public to download the MyJPJ mobile app to access their digital motor vehicle licenses and driving licenses.
Through the app, drivers can check their personal information and details of their vehicle that is stored in the JPJ database. This includes their driving license, road tax, driving test results, summonses, and even reports of stolen cars.
"Enforcement officers will scan the QR code on the digital driving licence and road tax. It also can verify whether the digital driver's licence and road tax are genuine or otherwise, as well as its validity."
Q: What if I do not have the MyJPJ app installed?
A: Loke on Friday assured motorists that it was not mandatory to download the MyJPJ mobile application nor do they need to keep a digital copy of their road tax or driver's licence in hand.
"No. This (app installation) is only one of the options to get a digital copy for road tax and driver's license," he wrote in a Facebook post on Friday addressing concerns raised by road users.
Q: Will I be issued with summons should I fail to show my digital road tax or licence?
A: The public will not be issued with summonses should they fail to provide a digital copy of their road tax or licence to the officers, Loke said.
He said enforcement officers can confirm the status of the road tax and the driver's licence through their own gadgets.
However, since the announcement, some road users have reported issues with the app, which Loke attributes to high traffic and noted that the matter is being resolved.
Q: What if I do not own a smartphone or don't have internet access on the road?
A: Loke also addressed concerns of road users, particularly those who don't have smartphones, or internet access, and senior citizens.
He emphasised that obtaining a physical road tax sticker and driving license from RTD is still an option.
"Don't worry, the digital licence is not mandatory. You can still obtain the road tax sticker and a physical licence from RTD," Loke wrote in his Facebook question and answer.
Q: What if I'm driving someone else's car?
A: Loke said those who have chosen to go completely digital and not use the road tax sticker can print a copy of the digital road tax to keep in the car.
In the case of authorities inquiring about the road tax, individuals other than the owner can show the printed copy.
However, Loke said it is not mandatory to keep a printed copy, and authorities can verify the information through their gadgets even without it.
"It's simple, the digital road tax can be printed and kept in the car. However, even if you do not have a copy of it, it is not against the law. The authorities can check the details on their gadgets," he said.
Q: Have other countries implemented such digital systems?
A: Transport consultant Rosli Azad Khan pointed out that even though countries like the Netherlands have digital systems to access a vehicle's information, a physical driving license is still required at all times.
"The Netherlands still uses plastic driving licences, but everything else is digitised," he told FMT.
It was reported that Singapore eliminated the use of road tax stickers in 2017, and digitalised driving licenses in 2020. These details are accessible through the Singpass app, which also serves as the republic's digital identification card.
Queries welcomed
Loke said that the authorities will attempt to provide additional and comprehensible explanations for all the queries raised.
"In any process of change, it will take time to adapt. There are parties who will not agree with the change.
"I respect all views and will try to manage this change as best I can along with my team at the ministry and RTD. We will try to fix any weaknesses that arise in this process."