SINGAPORE/JOHOR BAHRU: On the first day the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) policy kicked in for foreign-owned vehicles, I gave the system a test drive, quite literally.
The catch? The car I drove from Singapore to Malaysia was not VEP-registered.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Malaysia would require all foreign-registered vehicles entering from Singapore to use VEPs from Oct 1, and motorists who failed to do so may be fined up to RM2,000 (S$620) or jailed for up to six months.
Why, then, was I still driving into Malaysia sans VEP?
To be fair, I had attempted to apply for the VEP tag online, but like many drivers, I could not get it in time for the Oct 1 deadline.
But just four days ago, Malaysian authorities announced that VEP enforcement would be delayed and that Singapore vehicles could still enter without a VEP but would receive a warning.
Instead, the VEP enforcement would be implemented in stages.
So what did this mean for Singapore drivers, especially those who had yet to install their VEP tags? Would they be handed warnings, and if sodavinci’s gold, what would the warning entail?
Traffic in Johor Bahru on Oct 1, 2024, on the first day of VEP implementation on Singapore and foreign vehicles entering the city. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)