Since 2024, Malaysian authorities have issued more than 481,000 summonses to foreign drivers as part of a targeted enforcement initiative aimed at curbing traffic violations and ensuring compliance with licensing requirements. The Road Transport Department (JPJ) revealed that the operations, known as “Ops Pewa,” have focused on key offences including driving without a Competent Driving Licence, operating vehicles with expired Motor Vehicle Licences, and lacking valid insurance coverage.

Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan, senior enforcement director at JPJ, detailed that 183,300 summonses were issued in 2024, followed by 191,676 in 2025, and 106,143 between January and September of this year. He emphasized that the presence of unqualified foreign drivers is not solely a matter of insufficient enforcement. Local employers who hire these drivers without verifying their credentials contribute significantly to the ongoing problem, often doing so to reduce operational costs. Muhammad Kifli warned that such employers could be seen as complicit in undermining road safety regulations.

In the past three months, JPJ has intensified actions against both drivers and owners of commercial vehicles implicated in these offences. Notably, the department has pursued court cases without offering the usual option of compound payments for certain violations. Foreign nationals are prohibited from obtaining vocational licences, such as the Goods Vehicle Licence and Public Service Vehicle Licence, which means employers must ensure all commercial drivers meet legal requirements.

“Employers must reject the practice of hiring foreign drivers who do not meet the specified qualifications. We will enforce strict penalties, including the seizure and forfeiture of commercial vehicles under the Land Public Transport Act 2010,” Muhammad Kifli stated.

Since the launch of Ops Pewa, JPJ has confiscated three buses, 147 lorries, and 2,052 motorcycles, while taking action against 1,301 cars—including the seizure of 456 vehicles. The department has targeted private motorcycles as well, with 3,611 cases documented.

Highlighting an emerging issue, Muhammad Kifli also mentioned that some Myanmar refugees in the region have been renting motorcycles from locals for monthly fees ranging from RM50 to RM200, depending on the vehicles’ condition. These motorcycles are then modified into tricycles, used primarily to collect recyclable materials and used goods, indicating additional layers of informal economic activity linked to foreign nationals within the transport sector.

The JPJ’s ongoing enforcement efforts underscore the challenges of balancing immigration, employment practices, and road safety regulations as the department continues its crackdown to uphold the law on Malaysia’s roads.