As it turns out, there are more people than cars in Malaysia at present, with the number of vehicles deemed active at present standing at around 23 million units instead of the 33.3 million vehicles quoted last week in a report. In the report, it was indicated that the number of vehicles in Malaysia had reached the latter figure, effectively overtaking the population of the country, which stands at 32.6 million.
However, earlier this week, former transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said that the claim was not accurate, because the reported figure was an accumulation of registered vehicles since the British colonial era.
This has now been ascertained to be very much the case, as FMT reports. In a document sighted by the publication, the road transport department (JPJ) indicated that 11.37 million vehicles were listed as inactive or dormant. According to a senior official at the transport ministry, JPJ estimated that there were 21,709,492 active vehicles in the country up to September last year.
The source, who asked not to be named, said since the country did not practice a vehicle end-of-life policy, it was difficult for JPJ to identify inactive vehicles and issue obsolete ‘death’ certificates unless it is declared by the vehicle owner, which rarely happens.
The department has also had to apply a general formula of a 10% reduction annually for inactive or depleted number of vehicles, the source added. “The rule of thumb nowadays is that if a vehicle’s road tax is not renewed after three years, it is considered inactive,” he explained.
The report added that the absence of clear guidelines to determine the length of time for a registered vehicle to be considered idle or inoperative as well as a simple process to deregister a vehicle has been causing JPJ and local councils a headache. It also remains unclear whether JPJ delists a vehicle deemed as ‘total loss” in a road crash.
On the topic of inactive vehicles, Datuk Mohamad Dalib, former director of the automotive engineering division of JPJ, defended the department for the incomplete data collation of vehicles. “It is unfair to point fingers at JPJ. We had been working hard to compile the data over the years,” he said.
He said not many realised that the effort to centralise the database registry of vehicles started in 1990 after years of isolation and the listing of stand-alone machinery by each state since the inception of the registrar and inspector of motor vehicles (RIMV) began in 1946.
“We must not forget that heavy machinery and vehicles used in construction, agriculture, plantation, airports and other areas, which are not present on the public roads on a daily basis, are also required to register with the JPJ. So, it is hardly a surprise that there are 33 million registered vehicles in the country,” he explained.
Acknowledging that there had been a surge in the number of inactive vehicles nationwide, he suggested that the government conduct a comprehensive study. “There are many vehicle owners who have died. There should be a survey with a big sample,” he said.
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Well, still having more traffic jams anyway
From my 30yrs experience as auto journalist, the only way to reduce traffic jams are Increase car taxes, road tax, insurance by 500%. And peg ron95 petrol to rm5/liter. Genius!
From my 50 odd years of living on this earth, the only way to reduce traffic jam is to have MCO.
no need. Just make sure than 20% dp n longest 5 yrs installment, good enough to reduce by at least 30%.
Better still. Tax exemption is already better enough. What for asking tax exemption. Even hearing people complain that their new car still can’t be delivered, even tax exemption will extend till this year. This is really pointless!!
RM5b per month enough to cover 18-19mil heavy commuting vehicles (160L/month)
That’s why enough of sst exemption. Time to implement lemon law
Agree with you.
TBH, I think the road safety expert that made the statement that total registered vehicle more than population should clarify it.
While we wait for clarification,every year 600,000 new and say 400,000 used cars are added to the jams.In 10 years,it will exceed our population .
Everyworking day,at 630am,the authorities have added a contra lane from Bt9 Cheras to KL.Without it,that stretch would have turned into a carpark.
There is no magic vaccine for traffic jams.
Only serious planning n implementation of workable tactics remain on the table.
Lets hope our forever smiling SiongSiongkor will do something concrete.
Whatever it is, it surely be heck lot more better than DAP idea of limiting car usage to T20 and above.
Stop bashing innocent ones just because of one bad DAP apple.U mean semibotak vvip party members are bad just because of 2 bad apples?(court cluster)Come on,dont stereotype just cos of a single rotten maverick.
KJ is doing a better job as health minister compared to the “warm water’dude.
So called expert should be fired for getting his facts wrong.
Great news. And traffic jam getting worse in major city like KL. Oh wait, lets impose a new lower speed limit to 30kmh so that the jam can be worse
Not a good idea!! Impose a new lower speed limit won’t help much
There are few of them in my neighbourhood and one unknown person has parked his car FOC at the mosque. Been there for many years with NO ACTION by the lazy town council.
Traffic Jam is only @ the city, town, junctions,
Who cares about 23million cars active?
All I know is
1. Sold 33million, banyak road tax collected
2. Sold 33million, banyak excise duty collected
Etc etc, road tax, excise tax, import tax, sales tax, income tax..
+1, registering the car plate.
https://paultan.org/2022/06/10/jpj-ebid-vjd-jvk-qsq-number-plates-up-for-bidding/
VJD, JVK, QSQ number plates up for bidding
At the highway, most traffic jam caused by the Heavy Vehicles due to thier crawling speed.
when it’s 2 way lane, they are hogging 50% of the road.
when it’s the rural road, they are hogging 100% of the road.
The more heavy vehicles, the more jam.
Should impose a maximum life span of 10 years for private vehicles and 5 years for commercial vehicles while road tax and insurance fees should increase 20% every year
2022..Traffic jams…”sedang memantau,bang..sabar”
” Kuat kuat memantau…sabar”
” Transport Expert from UK
giving input..sabar”
2023 After GE15…tak payah memantau
Regime change.
Correct. After regime change, only DAP regime can own cars, other rakyats will have to walk 30km to work.
We will regime change to DPR Malaysia where certain party leaders and their cadres gets to own cars while us rakyats having return back to using bullock carts.
This penalises people who know how to jaga kereta and don’t want to get in to a never ending debt cycle owning a depreciating liability. Better to impose MOT/TUF style testing at the 10 year mark, if kereta fail, then owner punya pasal to either fix it or scrap it and buy an emissions legal vehicle. Also if one person got more than one car registered to them – then all their cars kena surcharge/levy. If they try to spread around using all the other family members, then do per address/household (eg 2 cars per household).
None of this is rocket science…but do you think the car industry lobby in Malaysia will allow this to happen? After all, the additional taxes/levies go in to the government coffers. So good for the country’s balance sheet.
That’s why, to solve traffic congestion, both Protong and Brukdua should just close shop as well as scrap all those badly or non-maintained cars.
Because of these 2 pariah national junk carmaker, now i can’t even buy an new manual cars at Myvee price (don’t tell me go for auto as i simply dislike driving it, traffic jam, better take public transport).