JOHOR BARU: Despite a slight drop in the number of Singaporean visitors following the enforcement of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP), Johor-based hoteliers reported that business remained unaffected.
The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Johor chapter chairman, Ivan Teo, remarked that October is traditionally a slower month for the hospitality sector due to the exam season in Singapore.
"Most parents in Singapore prefer to stay at home to support their children's studies during this period," he told the New Straits Times.
Teo said it was too early to fully assess the impact of the VEP enforcement, which commenced yesterday, as hoteliers typically see more Singaporean visitors over the weekends.
"We will have a clearer understanding of its impact this weekend," he said.
He also commended the Transport Ministry and the Road Transport Department (RTD) for their clear communication, confirming that Singaporean motorists without the mandatory VEP tags would not be turned away at the border, despite the requirement for Singapore-registered private vehicles.
Teo praised the positive approach taken by the Malaysian authorities in implementing the VEP.
Meanwhile, Renaissance Johor Baru Hotel's head of marketing and communications Hezrin Ali said the hotel experienced an 80 per cent occupancy rate yesterday, indicating minimal impact from the VEP enforcement.
"Since we are located a little further away, most of our visitors don't drive," he explained.
There was a slight decrease in the number of Singapore-registered vehicles entering Malaysia at the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at the Johor Causeway and Tuas Second Link.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook is expected to visit the CIQ tomorrow to provide more detailed figures and inspect the VEP enforcement process.
Johor Works, Transportation, and Infrastructure Committee chairman, Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh, noted reduced traffic at both checkpoints.
However, no enforcement action was taken against Singaporean vehicles without VEP tags, as the RTD had earlier announced that Singapore-registered private vehicles could still enter Malaysia while being reminded to register and activate their VEP.
Local vendors, especially small and medium-sized enterprises in Johor Baru, expressed relief that Singaporean visitors without VEP tags were still being allowed to enter.
T. Subramanian, a laddoo vendor on Jalan Ungku Puan, said although some of his customers initially cancelled orders due to not having received their VEP tags, they later reconfirmed their orders once it became clear there would be no penalties.
VEP Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag vendors, including TCSens Sdn Bhd at Danga Bay and RTD centres in Taman Daya and Larkin, reported a drop in the number of walk-in applicants, with registration backlogs easing following the opening of two additional centres on Sept 22.