Effective May 19, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will stop allowing conversion of foreign driving licences to Malaysian licences. In a press statement, JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said this is an element of the federal government’s efforts and commitment to enhance road safety, strengthen governance and lift the standard of public service delivery.
“This is an element of JPJ’s efforts to boost compliance with road safety standards involving foreign nationals,” said Aedy. “Foreigners wanting a Malaysian driving licence could have to follow the identical procedures as Malaysian residents,” he said.
Nonetheless, exceptions to the ruling can be made for certain categories of foreigners, reminiscent of members of the Diplomatic Corps and participants of the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. Moreover, Malaysians who obtain a foreign driving licence before getting a Malaysian licence are unaffected by the ruling.
An exception can also be made for foreign nationals residing in Malaysia for lower than 12 months. Drivers from countries signatory to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic 1949 and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968 can proceed to drive in Malaysia using an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by the relevant authority of their home country.
For nationals of Asean countries, drivers may use their respective nations’ driving licence, in accordance with the 1985 Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences Issued by Asean Countries. In accordance with a The Star report, that is seen as a move to handle cases of road accidents involving foreign drivers in Malaysia.
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This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
