KUALA LUMPUR: Dozens of Singaporean drivers on the island republic are reportedly struggling to get assistance for their Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) applications to enter Malaysia.
According to Singapore's CNA, many Singaporeans were seen queuing outside the office of TCSens, the vendor appointed by the Road Transport Department to handle queries from Singaporean drivers, on Monday.
TCSens' office opened at the Woodlands Industrial Park on Monday though its exact location was not publicly announced.
According to the report, the queues at the TCSens office only began at noon after people started learning of its exact location. CNA said it learned of the location from a TCSens staff in Johor.
Up until 5pm, people were seen turning up at the office even though queue numbers ran out hours earlier.
A TCSens manager later said that it settled 75 queries from Singapore drivers on its first day of operations.
Drivers interviewed at the office shared varying concerns.
Some were not able to install nor collect their radio frequency identification (RFID) tag at the office.
One retiree, Jummaat Abdul Karim said he could update his address through the online system.
Some Singaporeans who spoke to the New Straits Times outside of TCSens' office in Johor also expressed frustration over the application process.
They said it was a problem, especially for those who are not tech-savvy.
Meanwhile, in a separate CNA report Transport Minister Anthony Loke said he has instructed the vendor in Singapore to do its best to inform the public and facilitate the VEP application process.
He said the ministry had asked the vendor to publicly announce the start of its operations and the location of its office.
"We cannot issue a statement on their behalf," he was quoted as saying.
Malaysia will enforce the VEP on all foreign vehicles entering from Singapore on Oct 1.
The move is aimed at ensuring all foreign vehicle owners comply with Malaysian road regulations.
Foreign vehicle owners who fail to comply with VEP regulations can be fined up to RM2,000 or jailed for up to six months.