Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) has identified more than 15 million vehicles nationwide whose road tax has not been renewed for over five years, according to a report by Berita Harian. This accounts for about 37% of the 41 million vehicles recorded in JPJ’s database as of December last year, with many believed to be abandoned or no longer in use.
Transport Ministry land division secretary Datuk Mohamed Irwan Mansor said motorcycles make up the largest portion, with 9.76 million having expired road tax. This is followed by 4.07 million private cars, while the remaining two million consist of buses, taxis, rental cars, and goods vehicles.
He noted that vehicles whose road tax has not been renewed for more than five years are very likely to have been abandoned. Owners of vehicles that are no longer in use are encouraged to dispose of them through proper channels so they can be officially removed from the JPJ registry.
Current figures indicate that 15.61 million cars in Malaysia have valid road tax, bringing the total number of registered cars — including inactive ones — to 19.69 million. Motorcycle registrations stand at 18.9 million, though 9.2 million are considered inactive on the road.
To tackle the issue of aging and abandoned vehicles, the Transport Ministry introduced a matching grant programme in January to encourage owners to replace older vehicles. The RM10 million initiative offers eligible owners of vehicles 20 years old or more a grant of up to RM2,000, which is then matched by participating local car manufacturers when upgrading to a newer vehicle.
At present, the programme covers all Proton models as well as the Perodua Aruz and Ativa. Even vehicles that are no longer roadworthy can still qualify, provided their engine and chassis numbers remain intact and the registered owner is an immediate family member of the applicant. So far, nearly 3,000 owners have joined the programme, with RM4.43 million in grants already distributed.
Irwan also said the ministry plans to strengthen enforcement by introducing high-tech monitoring tools. JPJ is expected to deploy an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system to identify vehicles with expired road tax. The technology will initially help authorities track more than 2,000 abandoned vehicles, while also raising public awareness about the importance of proper vehicle disposal.
In Malaysia, it is an offence to drive a vehicle on public roads without valid road tax or motor insurance. These requirements are governed mainly by the Road Transport Act 1987 and the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act 1950.
Under Section 20(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, a vehicle cannot be used or kept on a road unless it has a valid Motor Vehicle Licence (road tax). Anyone found driving without road tax can be fined up to RM2,000, imprisoned for up to six months, or both.
Meanwhile, Section 90(1) of the same Act requires all vehicles on the road to be covered by a valid motor insurance policy. Driving without insurance carries a penalty of up to RM1,000 fine, three months’ imprisonment, or both. The court may also disqualify the offender from holding or obtaining a driving licence.
