500,000 summonses worth 150 million issued to foreign drivers in Malaysia since 2023 by JPJ

Mohan K Ramanujam · September 29 2026 Link copiedShare×Link copied!

JPJ has issued 500,000 traffic summonses to foreign drivers since 2023, with a maximum combined value of RM150 million, under Op Pemandu Warga Asing (Op PeWA). The figure is based on the maximum RM300 per summons, with offences including driving without a valid licence, road tax or insurance.

JPJ senior director of enforcement Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan said the department adopted a tougher approach in July this year, with vehicles driven by foreign nationals found breaching regulations subject to immediate seizure. Kifli added vehicle owners and drivers may also face court action.

“From July this year, we have changed our approach. The case has to be settled in court and if it is not resolved, the vehicle will not be allowed on the road,” he said in a PodX Utusan Malaysia podcast.

Kifli said Op PeWA covers both tourists and foreign workers, some of whom drive without proper training or necessary licences. JPJ also found foreign nationals using motorcycles to transport scrap metal and used goods, while some were driving without a licence or Goods Driving Licence (GDL).

The department identified hotspots in Kedah, Kelantan, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak, and state JPJ offices have been instructed to inspect every foreign driver detained. Kifli also urged Malaysian vehicle owners not to rent or lend their vehicles to foreign nationals who do not meet the necessary requirements while cases involving immigration offences, including having no valid permit or overstaying, will be referred to the Immigration Department.

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