KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — All Singapore-registered private vehicles will be exempted from paying Road Charge (RC) when entering Malaysia from April 1 over seven days.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong said the exemption is aimed at avoiding congestion at the two land checkpoints (Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex) if a traveller does not have sufficient balance or valid Touch’n Go card.

"After discussing with Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, I agreed to exempt RC payment imposed on all Singapore-registered vehicles entering Malaysia for seven days from April 1 to 7,” he said in a statement today.

He said the period should be used by all travellers and drivers of Singapore-registered vehicles to either renew or obtain Touch’n Go cards or reload them or register and install Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Vehicle Entry Permit tag on their vehicles.

"Singapore vehicles which have been registered or installed with RFID VEP tag would also be exempted from paying RC during the same period,” he said.

He said the decision was taken as the Malaysia-Singapore border has been closed two years ago and Singaporeans could not enter Malaysia to reload their Touch’n Go cards apart from cards that have expired.

He however said all travellers are reminded that RC would be enforced again from April 8.

"The exemption will not only benefit all Malaysians and Johor residents but it could also be enjoyed by Singaporeans and other nationalities travelling to Malaysia and Johor following the reopening of the country’s borders,” he said.

Earlier the two countries agreed to allow travellers who have been fully vaccinated to cross the land border without the need to undergo quarantine or carry out pre-arrival and on-arrival Covid-19 tests from April 1.

The approval is applicable to all categories of travellers and all types of land transportation modes such as private motorcycles, cars and all classes of public transport vehicles such as stage buses, express buses, tourist buses, workers buses and cross-border taxis. — Bernama