KL studying proposal to charge foreign cars entering Malaysia

SEPANG — Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai yesterday said the country is studying a proposal by the Johor state government to impose a charge on foreign cars entering the Malaysian border through Johor Baru, following Singapore’s announcement earlier this week to raise the entry permit fees on all foreign cars entering Singapore.

“However, this (the proposal by Johor) must be considered carefully as Malaysia has borders not only with Singapore, but with Thailand, Kalimantan and Brunei,” Mr Liow was quoted as saying by The Star newspaper.

In a move aimed at relieving traffic on Singapore’s borders, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday said that from Aug 1, the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fee for foreign-registered cars entering Singapore would be raised from S$20 to S$35 a day, while the Goods Vehicle Permit (GVP) fee for foreign-registered goods vehicles would be increased from S$10 to S$40 a month.

The fee increase applies only to foreign-registered cars and will not affect buses or taxis, the LTA said. The fee for foreign-registered motorcycles will remain unchanged at S$4 a day.

The move, however, has been met with outcry among Malaysians, with some raising concerns that it would greatly affect those who travel to and work in Singapore.

Malaysian Members of Parliament (MPs) have cited the poor public transport system across the border between the two countries and have urged the Malaysian and Singaporean governments to come up with a solution to the problem.

On Tuesday, Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong said approximately 300,000 vehicles cross the Johor-Singapore Causeway daily, most of which were Malaysian-owned. “The increase in the charges will put additional stress on the livelihood of Malaysians in Singapore,” he said, calling on the Malaysian and Singaporean governments to come up with a solution.

Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching said those who worked across the Causeway and Malaysian children who were schooling in Singapore would be greatly affected by the increase. “The negative impact will be felt especially by Johor residents as they are more likely to drive to Singapore, compared with other Malaysians who would prefer to fly there,” she said.

The LTA said foreign-registered cars entering Singapore will have to pay the permit fee from 2am to 5pm on weekdays — except during Singapore’s June and December school holidays, when the chargeable hours will be 2am to 12pm on weekdays.

Owners of foreign-registered goods vehicles can continue to purchase the GVP at the current fee of S$10 for this month. However, permits with a validity period beyond this month will be charged at S$40 per calendar month, the LTA said. Agencies