Malaysia

Luxury car crackdown: Celebrities and foreign drivers caught dodging road tax and insurance

JPJ identifies two more celebrities and several foreign nationals driving or storing luxury vehicles without valid documentation during Operation Luxury 3.0

Updated 1 year ago · Published on 10 Aug 2025 1:15PM

Luxury car crackdown: Celebrities and foreign drivers caught dodging road tax and insurance
Muhammad Kifli stressed that failing to maintain valid road tax and insurance remains a legal offence, regardless of how frequently the vehicle is used - August 10, 2025

TWO well-known celebrities have been identified as owners of luxury vehicles worth millions of ringgit which have not had valid road tax or insurance for an extended period, according to the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

Senior JPJ Enforcement Director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan said the discovery was made following intelligence gathered during the ongoing nationwide Operation Luxury 3.0, aimed at curbing non-compliance among luxury car owners.

“We found that two more celebrities have yet to renew the road tax for their luxury vehicles. Observations revealed that they no longer drive the vehicles, which remain parked at their residences. They now use other cars for daily transport,” he told reporters at the JPJ Vehicle Impound Depot in Kuala Lumpur late last night.

Also present were Kuala Lumpur JPJ Director Hamidi Adam and Selangor JPJ Director Azrin Borhan.

Previous reports have named celebrities and business figures among those found delaying the renewal of road tax and insurance for high-end vehicles such as Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches. Most claimed the cars were only used occasionally, describing them as “weekend cars”.

However, Muhammad Kifli stressed that failing to maintain valid road tax and insurance remains a legal offence, regardless of how frequently the vehicle is used.

The operation also uncovered serious breaches involving foreign nationals, including nine individuals caught driving luxury cars with expired or non-existent road tax, no insurance coverage, and in one case, possession of a forged Malaysian driver’s licence.

“The most serious offence we uncovered was a South Asian national holding a counterfeit Malaysian driving licence,” he said.

He added that JPJ would be conducting a thorough investigation into how the forged licence was obtained and has not ruled out the existence of a wider document forgery syndicate.

“JPJ will work closely with the Immigration Department and other relevant agencies in pursuing this matter. We believe some foreign nationals are brazenly testing the limits of our laws by driving expensive vehicles while ignoring basic legal requirements,” Muhammad Kifli said.

He reaffirmed that JPJ would not compromise with any party found flouting the law, whether local or foreign, and that strict action will be taken. - August 10, 2025

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