No one is above the law, not even those behind the wheels of million-ringgit machines.
That’s the message the Road Transport Department (JPJ) is sending as it clamps down on luxury car owners who have skipped out on their legal obligations.
Recently, celebrities and business figures in Malaysia have come under scrutiny for failing to renew road tax and insurance for their high-end vehicles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches.
“Weekend cars” no excuse, says JPJ
Many of these owners reportedly claimed that the cars are rarely driven and only used as “weekend cars,” arguing that this justifies the delay in renewing their documentation.
However, JPJ’s Senior Director of Law Enforcement, Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan, disagrees. He stressed that regardless of how often a vehicle is used, neglecting to renew road tax and insurance remains a legal offence, reported Berita Harian.
Based on our information, the vehicles in question are not used daily, only during weekends or on certain days,” he said.
“However, failing to renew road tax and insurance for an extended period is still a legal offence.”
JPJ to take action against offenders
To ensure fairness in enforcement, Muhammad Kifli made it clear that JPJ will not hesitate to act if any of these vehicles are spotted on public roads.
“We’ve already identified the owners of these luxury vehicles. If we detect them being driven on the road, we will take immediate action,” he said.
Over 1,000 luxury vehicles on watchlist
This comes after media reports revealed that JPJ has compiled a list of over 1,000 luxury vehicles in Malaysia that have gone without valid road tax for an extended period.
To address the issue, JPJ recently launched a large-scale enforcement effort.
Ops Luxury: Clamping down on non-compliance
During a three-day operation called Ops Luxury, which began on July 30 in the Klang Valley, authorities seized 53 luxury vehicles, each reportedly worth millions of ringgit.
This isn’t the first time the department has cracked down on such offenders.
In fact, to date, a total of 154 luxury vehicles have been seized across two rounds of Ops Luxury, conducted in June and July.
