Two Malaysians found themselves in a perplexing situation at Woodlands Checkpoint when they were reportedly stopped and informed about outstanding Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fees amounting to $2,700.
The incident, shared on the duo’s Instagram page @the.timestamps on December 15, has sparked a dispute over the accuracy of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) claim that the individuals had not left Singapore in four months.
The Disputed VEP Fees
In a one-minute video posted on Instagram, the two men expressed their disagreement with the outstanding VEP fees.
They explained that during their attempt to leave Singapore on December 10, they were informed at the LTA office that the system indicated they had not exited the country since August.
The alleged outstanding fees amounted to four months’ worth of “outstanding fees”, totaling $2,678.50.
Ma and Xiang highlighted their frustration, stating that despite their request for verification from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to confirm their absence from Singapore, there appeared to be a discrepancy between the databases used by LTA and ICA.
The Malaysians reported engaging in a two-hour argument with LTA officers over the alleged error. Despite their disagreement, they claimed that they were allegedly told to “pay up or have (their) car confiscated”.
Expressing confusion, Ma and Xiang questioned how they could enter and exit Singapore if there was an error in their card, adding an element of perplexity to the situation.
Following that, they said that they have tried to appeal to LTA and have yet to hear anything back from them, at the time of the video being posted.
They then warned other drivers who are entering singapore to always remember to scan their Autopass Card at the immigration.
Autopass Card Requirement
Malaysian-registered vehicles must possess a valid Autopass card to pay entry and exit fees before driving in Singapore. All foreign-registered vehicles are obligated to pay VEP fees, ranging from $4 per day for motorcycles to $35 per day for cars.
FULL VIDEO LOADING…
Source: @the.timestamps on Instagram