NO WARNINGS ISSUED
I also observed an officer from the Road Transport Department Malaysia, or JPJ, walking around the car park of the rest area, taking photos of the cars there.
When approached, he told CNA that he had spoken to some Singapore drivers, answering queries about VEP enforcement. But no warnings – verbal or otherwise – appeared to have been issued.
In itself, this was not a surprise. Malaysian authorities had said last week that warnings, if needed, would be handed out to drivers before they left Malaysia, which I assumed would take place at the immigration checkpoint.
Preparing to depart the country, I handed my passport to the immigration officer, who made no mention of VEP.
When I asked about a warning since the car I was driving lacked a VEP, she questioned how I had driven in without one. The office also seemed to be unaware of any announcement regarding the delay in VEP enforcement, and for that matter, the warning itself.
And with that, I was on the way back to Singapore.
Perhaps I got lucky in evading a warning. Emboldened, I decided to try again. Two U-turns later, I was back at Malaysian immigration, heading back to Singapore.
Again, I was issued no warning of any sort. I asked the immigration officer, who told me that VEP matters came under the road transport department (JPJ), a separate entity from the immigration team.
