SINGAPORE: All foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia will soon require a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) that costs RM25 (S$8), said Malaysia’s transport minister Liow Tiong Lai on Saturday (Oct 7).



This is on top of the RM20 road charge currently imposed on vehicles entering Malaysia from Singapore.





The VEP would be valid for five years, said Mr Liow, without giving a timeline for its implementation. Vehicle owners who paid for the VEP will be issued with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag to be placed on the windshields of their vehicles.



“The VEP will help us to identify the number of foreign vehicles entering Malaysia and also to prevent car theft and car cloning syndicates,” Mr Liow was quoted as saying by The Star.



He added that the road charge would also apply to the northern border with Thailand by the end of this year or early next year.



“We will implement the VEP and the RC at border entries between Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia for cars coming into Sarawak from the two countries at a later stage,” he said.





Malaysia’s road charge came into effect in November 2016 for all foreign private-registered vehicles entering Johor from Singapore.



In response, Singapore imposed a reciprocal road charge. Transport minister Khaw Boon Wan said Singapore has a “long-standing policy” of matching any levy, tolls or fees charged by Malaysia for using the road links between Singapore and Malaysia.



Singapore currently imposes a S$35 Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fee on foreign-registered cars entering the country, although each vehicle is given 10 free days a year and there are no charges during the weekends. Cars entering Singapore between 5pm and 2am from Monday to Friday are also exempt from VEP.