Singapore-registered cars must have COE of over 6 months to apply for VEP, says Malaysian transport minister

Owners of Singapore-registered cars with a COE of six months or less will not be able to apply for a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) to enter Malaysia, according to Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke.
These motorists will have to extend their COE in order to qualify for the permit, he told Shin Min Daily News recently.
Loke explained that this policy — set by Malaysia's Road Transport Department — aims to prevent the illegal resale of Singapore cars in Malaysia as well as the manufacturing of "cloned cars" using licence plates or identities of scrapped cars.
The minister compared the requirement to how passports must have a minimum six months' validity for international travel.
"Similarly, if a car owner decides to extend the COE for their vehicle, they must show proof of the new COE validity before they can apply for or renew their VEP," he said.
Malaysia began enforcing the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) requirement for Singapore-registered vehicles on July 1, with errant drivers facing a RM300 (S$91) fine and having to complete their VEP registration before leaving the country.
Ten Singaporean motorists were fined within the first hour of enforcement, reported the New Straits Times (NST).
There was also a surge in VEP applications from Singaporean motorists leading up to July 1.
On June 30, dozens of drivers crowded the TCSens VEP enquiry centre at Danga Bay, Johor Bahru, which has since begun operating 24 hours daily to handle the demand, reported The Straits Times.
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