RTD steps up Op PEWA against foreign motorists without valid documents

KUALA LUMPUR: The Road Transport Department (RTD) will intensify enforcement against foreigners driving or riding vehicles without valid driving documents, with vehicle owners who allow them to use their vehicles also facing action.

RTD director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the department would not compromise with foreign motorists found on the road without valid documents.

He said he had instructed RTD senior enforcement director Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan to step up efforts to curb the problem.

"I have instructed the RTD senior enforcement director, Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan, to intensify efforts to prevent foreign drivers without valid driving documents from being on the roads.

"Action will not only be taken against the drivers involved, but also against vehicle owners who allow their vehicles to be used by foreigners," he said.

He said this after the launch of the Special Registration Number series in conjunction with Malaysia Day 2026 at Menara 118 last night.

Aedy said foreigners who possessed valid driving documents and licences would not face any issues, but those who failed to comply with the law would face enforcement action.

He said the RTD had an annual enforcement action plan, with operations conducted in a focused and targeted manner.

Among them was Operasi Warga Asing (Op PEWA), which targets offences involving foreign motorists.

"We have many operations which are carried out in a focused and targeted manner, and one of them is related to foreign drivers.

"The RTD will continue to uphold road laws. It does not matter who commits an offence, we will take action," he said.

On three-wheeled motorcycles, which are among the vehicles frequently used by foreigners, Aedy said the RTD did not conduct operations specifically targeting such vehicles as their numbers in Malaysia were relatively small.

However, he said such motorcycles would be seized when detected committing offences.

"There aren't many three-wheeled motorcycles in Malaysia, but when we find them, we seize them.

"We know their modus operandi and we know who owns these vehicles. We have the information, and enforcement action is constantly being taken to ensure these drivers are not on the roads," he said.

Aedy said the RTD had already taken substantial enforcement action against foreign motorists, although he did not provide specific figures.

He also confirmed that the department had identified hotspots in several states where such motorists were operating, but declined to disclose the locations.

"There are hotspots in the states. I don't want to say where, but we have identified locations where these hotspots are," he said.