Surveying the field: Hamidi (left) pointing at some of the vehicles seized during Ops Pewa during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Selling vehicles to foreigners without proper paperwork or allowing them to drive illegally could land Malaysian owners in hot water.
The issue became apparent during a recent operation by the Kuala Lumpur Road Transport Department’s (JPJ) Ops Pewa, when JPJ director Hamidi Adam said that many of the seized vehicles were registered under Malaysian names, even though they were driven by foreigners.
“Our system indicates that the registered owners are Malaysians. However, checks found that the vehicles were sold to foreigners without proper ownership transfer,” he told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur JPJ headquarters yesterday.
He said such transactions were not legally recognised, as no official change of ownership had been recorded in the JPJ system.
“As a result, the registered owners remain fully responsible and will also be subjected to enforcement action under existing laws,” Hamidi added.
The operation, conducted from 9am to 2pm yesterday in Wangsa Maju, Setapak and Gombak, saw 58 vehicles seized out of 323 inspected, with 283 summonses issued for various offences, including driving without a valid licence, no insurance coverage and no road tax.
“The vehicles were impounded after inspections found multiple violations of the Road Transport Act 1987. Among the vehicles seized were three garbage trucks and two lorries,” he said.
The foreign drivers came from various countries including Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
“Several foreign drivers attempted to flee during the operation but were successfully detained and brought to Kuala Lumpur JPJ for further action,” he added.
Hamidi said JPJ would continue to engage with local authorities and private contractors, especially in the cleaning and waste management sectors, where foreign drivers were frequently found operating lorries and motorcycles.
“Employers must ensure that any foreign workers they engage comply with immigration requirements and hold valid driving licences,” he said.
“There is no restriction on foreigners driving vehicles, provided all legal requirements are met.”
Hamidi also highlighted JPJ’s achievements, saying enforcement statistics show a declining trend in cases involving foreign drivers, with 586 vehicles seized in 2024, 376 in 2025, and 58 so far in January 2026.
“The decline is likely due to sustained enforcement and cooperation with other agencies, but Kuala Lumpur JPJ will continue operations from time to time to address this issue,” he said.
