JOHOR BARU: The Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) system at Johor's land border with Singapore started on Oct 1, while the Malaysian-Thai VEP implementation is in the works.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook today said VEP would regulate foreign vehicular entry into the country, and would be enforced at all borders soon.
He said VEP, which is mandatory, aimed to boost national security and was a practice common in countries with shared borders, including Singapore.
"Concerns about data misuse are unfounded, as Malaysia adheres to the Personal Data Protection Act," he said at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI).
He said Malaysian vehicle owners faced similar regulations when applying for Singapore's compulsory VEP, known as Autopass.
He dismissed claims by Singaporean media that VEP targeted Singaporeans with unpaid traffic fines.
"Any motorist, including Malaysians, must settle their summonses. This is a universal law, even in Singapore."
He added that VEP, introduced in 2019, was not strictly enforced initially.
Now, he said, with the system in place and ample time given to apply, enforcement would proceed in phases.
"This is not about issuing summonses or collecting fines. It's about enhancing security and ensuring the smooth entry of foreign vehicles."
Loke said the enforcement at Johor land checkpoints was implemented in phases, with random inspections at BSI and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) at the Tuas Second Link in Gelang Patah.
Up to Sept 30, 112,658 VEP radio frequency identification devices (RFID) tags had been issued, and 75,412 vehicles had installed and activated the tags.
However, 37,246 tags remain uninstalled or inactive.
The first phase of enforcement involved issuing reminders to Singaporean vehicle owners who have yet to register for VEP.
Since the enforcement began on Oct 1, 678 Singapore-registered vehicles have been inspected at BSI and KSAB, with 50 reminders issued.