PUTRAJAYA, Nov 21 — Malaysia will begin the implementation of the Asean Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFAFGIT) from January 1 beginning with logistics firms, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today.

He said Malaysia would start by issuing the Asean Goods Vehicle Cross Border (AGVCB) permits to qualifying logistics firms, which would allow holders to traverse land borders in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Singapore using a single document.

"In line with AFAFGIT, domestic competent authorities in Asean countries are entitled to issue 500 AGVCB permits subject to the terms and conditions as agreed,” he said in a press conference here today.

Loke said that for Malaysia, the issuing authority would be the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD).

Applications for the AGVCB permits will be opened on January 1.