Ops Luxury: Most seized luxury cars reclaimed by owners within three days after road tax renewal says JPJ

Most luxury car owners whose vehicles were seized for expired road tax in Penang recover them within one to three days after renewing their road tax and paying the relevant compounds, according to the state Road Transport Department (JPJ). Penang JPJ director Zulkifly Ismail said the process depended on whether the vehicles still had valid motor insurance, with longer delays if their policies had expired.

“Most of them settle everything within one to three days. They renew their road tax, pay the compound and get their cars back,” he said at the Penang JPJ Media Appreciation Night on Friday. Some owners had opted for six-month road tax despite having insurance coverage valid for a full year.

This allowed them to renew their road tax promptly after their vehicles were seized, provided their insurance remained valid. However, motorists whose insurance had also expired faced a longer process, as they had to appear before a magistrate and be sentenced for the offences.

“The delay is usually because they have to wait for their cases to be brought before the court. It depends on when they can get a court date,” Zulkifly said. The compounds payable by owners with valid insurance also depended on when they settled their offences.

As reported by paultan.org in May, Penang JPJ seized 51 luxury vehicles worth approximately RM14 million under Ops Luxury between January 1 and May 21. The vehicles had accumulated around RM175,000 in unpaid road tax.

Some had been driven for years without valid road tax, including a BMW whose road tax had expired in 2020 and a Jaguar that had been without valid road tax since 2021. A Ford Mustang with an annual road tax bill of RM10,900 had not been renewed since 2022. JPJ issued 137 notices and took enforcement action for various offences during the operation.

While luxury car owners can often reclaim their vehicles within days by settling their offences, the process can take considerably longer for motorcycles seized during operations targeting foreign workers riding without valid licences. Zulkifly said owners of these motorcycles could wait up to three months to recover their vehicles, as the cases also had to be brought before a magistrate.

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