What more is that these 50,000 summons racked up are only for the short time period between 2022 and November 2024.
While one of the benefits to driving in Malaysia is the somewhat lax enforcement of various motoring laws, it seems that it is not just us locals who (allegedly) take advantage of this supposed freedom to be naughty on the road. Such is as Malaysian traffic authorities have recently revealed that it has issued a whopping 49,598 traffic summonses to foreign vehicles between 2022 and November 2024, with a massive 41,005 still remaining unsettled.
Now perhaps to no one’s surprise, Singapore-registered vehicles currently lead this unsavoury list with 33,033 summonses issued, of which 28,642 remain unpaid. Thailand meanwhile follows in second place with 7,725 summonses, of which 6,589 are yet to be settled.
Brunei in turn ranks third, accounting for 5,917 summonses with 3,721 still outstanding. Indonesia rounds out the top four with 772 summonses, of which 585 remain unpaid. An additional 2,151 summonses from other countries were recorded, with 1,468 remaining unsettled.
As for what offences these foreign registered cars have been caught committing, speeding emerges as the most common traffic violation by foreign motorists, with 33,226 summonses issued. Bless Malaysia’s had laju kebangaan…
Other prevalent offences include failure to obey traffic signals (4,576 summonses), obstructing traffic (3,514 summonses), and queue jumping (2,022 summonses). The remaining 8,370 summonses cover various other traffic infractions.
To address this growing issue, the police have conducted 14 special operations targeting foreign vehicles with outstanding summonses since 2014. These operations were strategically implemented across border states, with six conducted in Johor, four in northern states like Perlis, Kedah, and Perak, two in Kelantan, and one each in Sarawak and Sabah. Each operation was conducted under legal authorities including the Road Transport Act, Police Act, and Criminal Procedure Code.
And to facilitate easier payment, roadblock locations are equipped with summons payment counters. In 2021, the Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department developed the MyBayar PDRM portal and application, which provides 24-hour access for both Malaysian and foreign motorists to settle outstanding summonses. This digital solution aims to eliminate excuses for unpaid fines.
For persistent offenders, authorities warn that legal action will be pursued, with traffic offenders potentially facing court proceedings until the matter is fully resolved.
In fact, the now-mandatory VEP (Vehicle Entry Permit) tag for Singaporean-registered cars will notify the driver regarding any outstanding traffic summons incurred during their time galavanting in Malaysia when cross the border in returning to the city state. The Road Transport Department (JPJ) is also currently taking enforcement action against Singaporean motorists who do not settle their outstanding fines before leaving the country.
