KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — Inbound traffic from Singapore was down 20 per cent from normal daily volumes today, the first day Malaysia is enforcing the vehicle entry permit (VEP) requirement on foreign-registered vehicles arriving from the republic.

A Home Ministry official at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex noticed the decline, but told The Star that it was too soon to link attribute it to the VEP.

Malaysia began enforcing the requirement foreign vehicles to be fitted with the VEP at its border with Singapore today, after delaying the implementation by year.

Despite the postponement, the implementation was still met with confusion by Singaporean road users trying to register in the republic.

Motorists waiting until the end of the grace period also caused crowds at centres handling the installation of the VEP in the republic.

Conflicting information regarding the enforcement has also exacerbated the situation, forcing the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to reassure Singaporean Singaporean drivers that they could still enter Johor without a VEP for the time being.

The department said it would start with soft enforcement for now, and will ramp this up gradually.

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