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 part of the government’s efforts and commitment to improve road safety, strengthen governance and raise the quality of public service delivery.
“This is part of JPJ’s efforts to enhance compliance with road safety standards involving foreign nationals,” said Aedy. “Foreigners wanting a Malaysian driving licence will have to follow the same procedures as Malaysian citizens,” he said.
However, exceptions to the ruling will be made for certain categories of foreigners, such as members of the Diplomatic Corps and participants of the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. Additionally, Malaysians who obtain a foreign driving licence before getting a Malaysian licence are unaffected by the ruling.
An exception is also made for foreign nationals residing in Malaysia for less than 12 months. Drivers from countries signatory to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic 1949 and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968 can continue to drive in Malaysia using an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by the relevant authority in 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. According to a The Star report, this is seen as a move to address cases of road accidents involving foreign drivers in Malaysia.
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