While Malaysia is switching to a digital driving licence, those who intend to drive in other countries should take note that you will still need to have a physical copy of the document (or an IDP) for this purpose, as the digital driving licence may not be recognised by foreign authorities.
This reminder comes following an incident last week where two Malaysians were issued traffic summonses in Thailand for failing to produce a physical copy of their driving licence to Thai authorities.
Transport minister Anthony Loke said that the matter of a driving licence was subject to the laws of other countries, as Bernama reports. Commenting on the matter, he said that the digital driving licence is only valid in Malaysia, repeating what he had said back in February when the switch to the digital road tax and driver’s licence was first announced.
In relation to the recent case, he said that the road transport department (JPJ) has not stopped issuing physical copies of driving licences, and it was available for those who need it. “If they want to drive in a country that requires a physical licence, then they can apply for it at the JPJ counter when renewing (their licence),” he said.
It is also worth noting that in Malaysia, the switch to a digital driving licence – which can be displayed via the MyJPJ app – isn’t across the board. As stated back in February, those with a learner’s driver’s licence (LDL) and a vocational driver’s licence (PSV/GDL/KON) still need a physical copy of the licence.
Also, foreign nationals holding a Malaysian driving licence or an international driving permit (IDP) will need to have the relevant physical document with them when they are behind the wheel.
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Yet another “progressive move” and ended up being neither here nor there. Syiok sendiri for the optics locally, but actually makes us do double work.
What is so syok sendiri about this? I think for local use without physical card is actually very helpful already. What do you mean by double work? all this time before this you dont have to have physical card meh?
Of course if you want to go overseas have to obey respective local rules & regulations if they want physical card, then we must have one too! It is so simple.
Our government does not have to pay anything for using the digital platform? Introducing a new platform while maintaining the old (worldwide accepted) ones does not cost extra?
FYI our current physical card is not accepted worldwide, majority of the countries require us to have the International Driving Permit which costs RM150 to do at any JPJ brach and valid for 1 year.
Digitalisation is indeed a step forward in a right direction. Of course there is a cost involved. Sooner or later we will still have to do this system.
Majority of the rakyat only travel and holiday locally anyway so the impact is pretty much minimal.
IDP still has to be printed hardcopy and brought along with you, no this digital nonsense as enforcement authorities overseas do not entertain this stupidity.
If it ain’t broken don’t try to fix it, stupid!!!!
Another case who never drove anywhere outside Malaysia..No U don’t, entire Europe,SEA and even Australia don’t need IDP..Malaysian Driving License is very strong and recognise..Thank you
is that the Thai authorities recognize only the Malaysian driving licence physical document but not the soft copy. So, if a Malaysian wants to be on the safe side by getting an IDP even if it is only exists as a hardcopy document, he/she is not wrong, as long as it is accepted by the foreign authorities.
To Ricky – Another case of guy pretending to drive all over the world. Dude, maybe you just read from the internet? No thank you,,
I didnt say our license is not strong, it is indeed strong, we just need to have IDP in most countries. thats it
Even In EU, AUS, you still need to have IDP as a precautionary measure before travelling or you might be denied driving there.
Waste public fund again. Syok sendiri.
We must advance and not always remain at the old system. It is not Syok sendiri.
Nothing can be built in just one day. It takes times to pefect any new system.
Another moron in KERAjaan MahalDahNi…never think properly before doing something…you fail big time loke…shame on you!!!!
for not understanding that the power & authority of the Malaysian government & its ministers are only within the country’s borders. Malaysian laws & regulations also have no jurisdiction outside the country’s borders. Thus, one has to follow the laws & regulations of a foreign country when being over there.
The only mistake Kerajaan did was under estimating the intelligence of some of own rakyat.
If going abroad, why not just check first. Even our Malaysian driving license may not be accepted if going farther up north Thailand. You still need to get an IDP just to be safe.
Some countries even want you to get a letter from thier own transport department to go with your IDP.
Travel more, know more.
U drive anywhere outside Malaysia?I drove in Australia,most of Europe ,most of SEA and even in India once..Just need Malaysian Driving License and that’s all I need…Don’t give this kind of misleading information that Malaysian Driving License not recognise overseas brother..BtW I just back from Australia and even stopped by police in roadblock there and no prob..It’s perfectly ok and U will realise even when U rent a car at airport car rental counter.Read again.They just need Malaysian Driving License!!!
Damn right. I drove in Canada, US, Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia and many other countries using just the Malaysian driving license. How come some people need to be so special and get an IDP?
I drove in AU last time with 2 different car rental provider. One asked for the IDP, the other one didnt.
I drove in UK & Korea (Jeju) too and the car rental agency asked for the IDP as well even though i mentioned our license is valid here but they insist.
By the book yes we actually dont need IDP in these countries but heyy most people there also couldnt care less about our license, all they knew is foreign people need to have IDP. You can argue all you want there but at the end of the day if you just bring IDP along, it will save your time and energy.
Travel more okay Ricky?
about people who get the IDP. They are just being extra cautious because sometimes these foreign law enforcement personnel are not the same wavelength.
LOLLOKE still have not fix the goddamn confusion on paperless roadtax now he went and broke the driving license system! Well done!
PM Anwar this crap minister got nothing better to do ahh? Go ask him sell more number plates lar, at least he is not causing problems for everyone including his own enforcement staff!
Alot of things have been carried out by the Madani Government in just short period of time ! Look around with bright eyes and wise mind. Dont just copy what others said.
Shortterm syiok sendiri gomen. Instagratification gomen.
This is not what we want, we want a good and wise ruling gomen. Time to change then.
the Malaysian government to be responsible for the actions of the Thai authorities in Thailand?
I think ahlokekor is wasting too much time on licenses,collecting upfront 10 year fees etc.
He should delegate these biasa items after due diligence,and not do u turns after some backlash.
There r more pressing issues to handle.Like the usual huge crowds at JPJ offices,long queues at Puspakom,”hanky panky at puspakom during inspections”, overloading by tipper trucks carrying quarry stones/sand. etc.
Hello,dont use MADANI tax ringgit salaries by doing the mundane which the lower ranking staff can do.
Menteris have more important matters to attend to.
It would be a good cost saving measure, even if JPJ managed to reduce paperbased driving licence by 50%. I would guess that less than 10 – 15 % of our Malaysian outbound travellers need to drive outside the country.
Ngok, you tell me hundreds of ringgit per raodtax can’t cover the cost for both Road tax sticker and license card and say it’s 50%savings. Which school you you attend your standard 1 mathemathics? Go back and learn how to count before come and talk about system overhaul lah. You stupid digital system is free one ah? No need money to buy and maintain ah? And the enforcement devices you pump them out from your asshole is it? If your brain can’t count you ask the people to bear the cost themselves! No need for your stupid system that cause more trouble and money and make people life miserable.
That’s the thing (double work) everytime in everything & always .. what has been done, never be systematic,( very troublesome) all this while will they ever improve? Let me repeat will they improve?
Well, with a lot of policy changes, it’s just a matter of adjusting quickly to cover the unintended consequences.
Other countries have consistent policy to follow and will not entertain our lalang ever changing policies from a lalang G. Just gimme my physical printed roadtax & driving license goddammit!
To be honest, I can tell that those countries that are not keen with Malaysia digital driving license not because of the system reliability itself but they are just bitter that they are incapable to implement the same or better technology than this. Malaysia is a third world country according to them and self-hating Malaysians, right? LMAO
LOL no. There are good reasons why not everything is digital and even as far as OZ they still recognised Msian driving license as physical evidence (that is how they found out a Msian imbecile had forged his license).
Lanchow la loke, satu lagi projek DAPiss
So much bashing of the govt here. Even in Europe, if you are from UK and you drive into France, you will need to display a sticker on your bumper. You don’t see UK people complaining. In MY, you might drive to 4 countries; TH, SG, ID, Brunei. Out of the 22-odd million active cars on the road, probably less than 5% will drive out of the country. The rest will probably never drive out of the country. The digital roadtax makes good sense since a huge majority will never need to get a physical one as the won’t drive out.
When Thais & Singaporeans drive over to the Peninsula & when Indonesians drive over to Sabah and Sarawak from Kalimantan, we Malaysians expect them to respect our laws especially traffic rules & regulations while they are in Malaysian territory. So, when we drive over to their respective countries, we too have to respect their laws while we are in their respective territories. Those who complain a lot about this, obviously have problems understanding such a relatively simple concept, most likely because they themselves have trouble respecting & abiding the laws in their own country.
People should know that we need to present physical license in foreign countries, digital license is only valid in Malaysia.
In the end Rakyat yg susah and will blamed. Stupid menteli with half baked idea is blameless
Rakyat is to be blamed for picking this useless gomen that comes with this useless menteli. OTOH this gomen was not chosen by the rakyat so it is an illegal gomen la.
that the present government has been formed & sworn in, while being approved & witnessed by the head of state, in accordance to the country’s constitution. Your comments sound like they came from a small immature child.
Common sense to check other nation laws before visit. best is apply international drive permit for a year. fortunately only a small group errant Malaysian will behave that way. however, their behaviour enough to ruin others Malaysian travel aboard.
Kuman sense – like
Common sense – dislike
Ini lah jawapan paling bangang bila ada dah kena saman dan viral baru nak bgtau tak valid untuk luar dari Malaysia, nasib aku tk drive diluar negara jika tidak minta bapak dia tolong bayarkan saman.
Metering syok sendiri baru up..Takde keje lain DIA buat keje Ni.Hahahahaha.
Babi apa benda ni dia dah mention lama. Bapak otak beku nye semua benda nak condemn. Kau drive oversea, bayar sendiri la kena saman sial. Butoh bapak kau pulak nak kena bayar. Apatah lagi bapak orang lain. Sendiri bodo takde otak
I’m the god of mischief and my job is to play with your weak minds
Give us a break and stick to LRT/KTM spot checks will ya?
Bodo tak cakap awal2. Tak cekap.
What happens next year? Somehow we need to get physical license instead of digital. If we take digital, we do not know when we will take a vacation via driving a car especially to Thailand. I think gov should liaise with other countries.
BS..just admit it that u guys also didn’t think of it..only when cases like this arise, than u got something to say
PH always got something to say when they screwed up depends on us rakyat if we still want to eat their shit or not.
if you prefer to eat somebody else’s sh|t.
Yes..in fact all foreign countries require a physical driving licence..
What Anthony Loke done is a unwise?
Simple, JPJ continue issue physical driving licence; stop this waste of our public taxes monies to pay millions or billions to a software companies. Are the Software companies related to Anthony Loke, since he is so eager?
I hope d Loke’s Department to look in various angles, ensured the authorities to insist on either d hard type 1st bcos it’s much easier rather opening d digital with signing in & etc. D Apps shud b much user friendlier rather than highly secured password. There’ll be many that bearly access to this Apps could remember their password. I felt Loke wanted his ministry to perform great but would have shifted d weight to other ministry. I wonder how will citizen identify if an abandoned vehicle perhaps is stolen to the authority if there’s physical no road tax sticker to come. D statistic of checking will increased. Why can’t he come up wif something more effective & efficient e.g identifying type of drivers like senior citizen. Rather having something uncertain e.g. dark tinting enforcing when PH 1st took power & after PH mishaps, there are more tinted cars than ever. It’s like ‘hangat tahi manok’ or chipsmore, “now U C it, (later) U don’t”. Must as well, we put MUDA to the test, young & new but consistent.
Might as well give PN the chance again, at least they were more sensible giving instructions and did not have absurd ones such as banning concerts and going after rainbow watches.
Very “impressive” move. First digitize the road tax, now driving license. I wonder what will be digitized next?
There must be increase in cost to servers/app/website development. Who are benefiting from this? And, your system hack proof?
For us the end user, no phone/phone batt died, no need go out already. Faster just to keep a manual print out hardcopy just in case.
Other than working on these, please at least try to solve the traffic jam issue or even the road potholes issue.
Another act by the Government in digitalisation the driving licence. This time it’s the JPJ. Going to Thailand or Philippines, we need to produce our hard copy license. Stupid for Anthony Loke to think that no Malaysians go abroad right? You think other countries.must follow Malaysia in accepting our digital license ka? Dumb.