Singaporeans rank third among 1,346 foreigners caught in Malaysian state's traffic crackdown

Malaysia's Road Transport Department (JPJ) has taken action against 1,346 foreigners, including 223 Singaporeans, for traffic offenses in Johor over the past four months.

Johor JPJ director Zulkarnain Yasin said the notices were issued during a statewide operation targeting foreign drivers and riders from June 1 to Oct. 2, The Star reported.

Pakistanis formed the largest group at 447, followed by 251 Bangladeshis.

Singapore represented the third largest group above 180 Indonesians and 150 Myanmar nationals.

Action was also taken against 21 Vietnamese, 19 Indians, five Nepalese, two Cambodians and 48 people from other countries, ,national news agency Bernama cited Zulkarnain as telling a press conference at the Johor JPJ headquarters.

Officers inspected 10,580 vehicles and detected 4,565 offenses, the most common being driving without a valid license, with 788 cases.

Expired road tax accounted for 693 cases and a lack of insurance 528, while 449 involved owners allowing unlicensed people to use their vehicles and 207 involved riders without helmets, Bernama reported.

The department issued 3,072 notices and seized 454 vehicles, including 347 motorcycles and 69 cars, according to public broadcaster RTM.

Vehicles in Malaysian traffic. Photo by Unsplash

About 70% of the vehicles belonged to the foreigners themselves and had been bought second-hand without a valid transfer of ownership, Zulkarnain said.

He said motorcycles sold legally by locals often change hands several times as foreign buyers return to their home countries. "This makes it difficult for us to identify and take action against the owners," The Star quoted him as saying.

Some of those caught were repeat offenders working as contract laborers, factory workers, cleaners and grass cutters, Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia reported.

The operation, known as Ops PeWA, was carried out at hotspots across the state with the police, the Immigration Department and local authorities, it added.

An earlier round from Jan. 1 to 23 led to action against 459 foreigners and the seizure of 235 vehicles.

Zulkarnain said JPJ would continue to step up joint enforcement operations with other agencies.