Traffic congestion began soon after midnight on July 1, 2025, as the Malaysian authorities started full enforcement of the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) requirement for Singapore-registered vehicles entering Johor Bahru via the Causeway. The implementation marks the end of a grace period and enforces a rule first introduced in October 2024.
At the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, 55 Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers were stationed along the exit road to Johor Bahru. They immediately began stopping and fining Singapore-registered private vehicles found without a valid VEP tag. The fine for each violation is RM300 (approximately S$91), which must be settled before the driver can leave the country.
The first motorist to be fined was 19-year-old Singaporean student Safir Farhan, who was heading to Johor Bahru for supper with his family. Although he had already registered for the VEP, he had yet to receive the RFID tag in the mail. He was fined RM300 and paid on the spot at a mobile JPJ service van.
Within the first hour, 10 Singapore-registered vehicles were fined. According to JPJ, enforcement will continue and no leniency will be extended to private vehicle owners without a registered and activated RFID tag. However, Singapore-registered company vehicles that have applied but not yet received their VEP approval will only be issued reminder notices.
The enforcement follows several announcements by Malaysian officials. On October 1, 2024, VEP became mandatory, but enforcement was delayed. In June 2025, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke emphasized that ample time had been given for registration and activation, with reminders going out to all drivers. In response, thousands of Singaporeans rushed to VEP centres in Singapore and Johor to complete the process.
TCSens, the Malaysian vendor in charge of VEP matters, announced that its Johor Bahru centre at Danga Bay would operate 24 hours starting June 30 to handle the surge in demand. Despite these efforts, many still faced delays. Singaporean restaurant owner Jenny Chia waited for hours to receive assistance, while lorry driver Sasman Isnian said he might abandon the queue due to the wait.
As of June 29, JPJ reported that 248,504 private Singapore-registered vehicles had signed up for the VEP, with 17% yet to activate their RFID tags. An additional 3,765 company vehicles had received their tags, out of 19,690 applications.
JPJ Director-General Aedy Fadly Ramli stressed that enforcement will not take place at the Causeway or Second Link directly, to avoid worsening congestion. Instead, checkpoints within Johor will be used. He also emphasized that the VEP system was announced as early as 2017, and multiple deadlines had been given, so no further excuses would be accepted.
The fine must be paid via cashless methods at JPJ counters, mobile service vans, or online through the MyEG portal. The RFID-based VEP system allows authorities to track vehicle movements and ensure any unpaid traffic summonses are cleared before vehicles exit Malaysia.
The long-delayed enforcement finally kicked off amid visible queues and growing compliance. While some Singaporean motorists were frustrated by the timing or the process, others took it in stride, acknowledging the need for law enforcement and expressing readiness to comply.
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