Latest news with #ImmigrationandQuarantine
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Motorcyclist gets RM7,000 fine for heading to S'pore without scanning passport
PONTIAN: A 31-year-old motorcyclist, who was rushing to work in Singapore, paid a hefty price for exiting Malaysia without getting his passport scanned at one of the two land checkpoints. Sessions Court Judge Thalha Bachok @ Embok Mok fined Lee Choon Sheng RM7,000 after the accused pleaded guilty to the charge. According to the charge sheet, the accused had allegedly opened up the barrier at a motorcycle lane at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) in Johor Baru at about 8.30am on May 25, while heading to work in Singapore. He had exited the country without scanning his passport and allegedly committed an office under Section 2(2) of the Passport Act 1963. The case was prosecuted by Immigration prosecutor Omar Zaridz Abd Rahman while the accused was not represented. The accused, who faced a six month jail term in default of paying the fine, settled the amount. Last year, at least four locals were nabbed for not just leaving the country without scanning their passports but also vandalising some of the equipment at the checkpoint. A Home Ministry official advised the thousands of motorcyclists using the two land checkpoints with Singapore not to "resort to using shortcuts" when entering and exiting the country as it was a serious offence under the Immigration Act. "The person faces a hefty fine or jail-time for those who do not stop and produce their passports when entering and exiting the country," the official said. In the past, the immigration Department has nabbed and charged Malaysians and Singaporeans during special operations for travelling to Singapore without showing their passports at the two land check-points with the island republic.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
No turnbacks for Singapore cars without VEP, but fines before exit
JOHOR BARU: Singapore-registered vehicles without a valid Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) will not be turned back at Johor's land checkpoints in an effort to prevent unnecessary congestion, the state Road Transport Department (RTD) said. Its director, Azmil Zainal Adnan, said enforcement officers will allow Singapore-registered motorists to pass through both land checkpoints at Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB), even without the mandatory VEP tag. "Motorists will not be stopped or turned around at either Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, as doing so would severely disrupt traffic flow," he told the New Straits Times when contacted today. "However, vehicles without a VEP tag will be flagged in the system, and the motorists will be fined RM300. They must settle the compound before leaving the country." To avoid additional congestion, he said the RTD will set up payment counters away from the BSI and KSAB exits, allowing Singaporeans to settle their fines before returning to the republic. Azmil said the decision aims to strike a balance between enforcement and practicality, especially as thousands of vehicles cross the border daily. "We want to avoid bottlenecks at both checkpoints. At the same time, the law will still be enforced, just at a more practical point in the process," he said. He urged all Singaporean vehicle owners to expedite their VEP applications and to avoid using unverified third-party agents, some of whom have been charging exorbitant service fees. The VEP requirement, mandated under Malaysian law, is part of efforts to better regulate and monitor foreign vehicles entering the country. Singapore-registered motorists risk being fined RM300 from July 1 if they fail to register and activate their VEP before entering Malaysia, the Transport Ministry warned yesterday. Its Minister, Anthony Loke Siew Fook, said full enforcement of the VEP requirement would commence after a phased rollout that began in October last year, targeting all foreign vehicles, especially those from Singapore. Offenders must settle the fine before being allowed to exit Malaysia. VEP requirement starting 1 July ," he said, adding that summonses will be issued to foreign vehicle owners who have not registered or activated their VEP.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- New Straits Times
Singaporean drivers clash in road rage incident at Johor CIQ
JOHOR BARU: A petty road spat between two Singapore-registered Honda drivers escalated into a full-blown shoving match at the land checkpoint here on May 31. A one-minute-17-second clip of the road rage incident, which also showed both men kicking each other's vehicles, is believed to have been captured by another motorist's dashcam and later posted on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page. The incident, which occurred at 2.30am, involved a white Honda Vezel and a black Honda Fit, both Singapore-registered, in near-standstill traffic at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complexes at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI). In the video, the Vezel driver, clad in a white T-shirt and shorts, is seen stepping out of his vehicle to confront the Fit driver, who was wearing a black T-shirt and shorts. As the latter opened his door, the man in white kicked it, sparking a brief but aggressive shoving match. A woman from the Vezel and two men from the Fit rushed to defuse the situation, but not before more door-kicking and finger-jabbing played out, all in the middle of slow-moving traffic. The altercation further irritated motorists already stuck in the early-morning jam. The clip ends there, but netizens were quick to weigh in. Some condemned the display of machismo, pointing out that traffic at the checkpoint was bad enough without "two Honda drivers playing Street Fighter". Others advised motorists to "leave the drama on Netflix, not in JB". One commenter quipped that the saga probably ended with both men hugging it out at a nearby petrol station, after realising Malaysia's fuel prices were too good to fight over. Meanwhile, Johor Baru South police chief, Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat, said that, as of press time, no police reports had been lodged by either party.
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
News@9: Today's top headlines - May 27, 2025 [WATCH]
Good evening. You're watching News@9. Here are today's biggest stories. Crucial relationship The relationship between Asean and the Gulf Cooperation Council will be pivotal in strengthening interregional collaboration, fostering resilience and ensuring sustainable prosperity for their peoples. Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have signed the IMT-GT Framework of Cooperation in Customs, Immigration and Quarantine, facilitating smoother movement of goods and people within the IMT-GT corridor. Investigation updates Selangor police will release their findings on the Putra Heights gas pipeline explosion, together with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health's report, next month. Screens vs stress Academic stress, high expectations, and the pervasive influence of technology and social media have made Malaysian children's mental health an urgent concern. That's it for News@9.
Barnama
27-05-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Malaysia, Indonesia And Thailand Ink CIQ Cooperation Framework
KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand today signed the Framework of Cooperation (FoC) in Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit here. The framework was signed by Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Malaysia's Minister of Economy Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Thailand's Deputy Minister of Finance Julapun Amornvivat. The FoC aims to strengthen CIQ cooperation by promoting more efficient and business-friendly formalities in implementing rules, regulations and procedures for the seamless movement of goods and people across borders.
