Vehicle permit to help resolve unpaid fines by drivers of foreign cars

The VEP system will be able to record all vehicles entering from Singapore. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 26, 2016.Vehicles from neighbouring countries will no longer be able to escape paying fines for road offences committed in Malaysia with the implementation of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) in May.

Road Transport Department (RTD) director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad said currently, the entry and exit of vehicles from Singapore were not recorded, making it easy for them to avoid paying fines, while still being able to cross the border freely.

"So when we implement the VEP later, all (drivers of foreign) cars committing offences in our country will not be able to return (to their country of origin) until the fines have been settled," he said in Kuching today.

Ismail said apart from helping to identify errant drivers of vehicles that did not settle their fines, the VEP system would also help RTD to control and curb the vehicle cloning syndicates.

He said last year the department managed to seize 760 cars, however, he believed there were still many cloned vehicles being used in the country.

"Once the VEP system is implemented, all vehicles from Singapore entering the country need to be registered... so the issue of cloned vehicles and the syndicates selling them in the country can be resolved."

Ismail said most motorists were aware of the fact they were purchasing cloned vehicles, as the prices were much lower than the market rate, and the payments were made in cash, as no financial institution would offer loans for the vehicles without any valid documentation.

He added that owning a cloned vehicle was an offence under the Road Transport Act 1987, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009. – Bernama, January 26, 2016.