Porsche, Jaguar and Ford Mustang models were among 51 luxury vehicles worth an estimated RM14mil seized in Penang this year after owners failed to renew their road tax, state Road Transport Department (JPJ) director Zulkifly Ismail has said.
Most of the vehicles were believed to belong to VIPs, including businessmen and high-profile individuals holding Datuk and Datuk Seri titles, Zulkifly said.
He said the seizures were carried out under Ops Luxury conducted statewide from 1 January to 21 May.
The offences resulted in government revenue losses amounting to about RM175,000 due to unpaid road tax involving the luxury vehicles, he said.
“The vehicles seized were found to be operating without valid Motor Vehicle Licences (LKM). A BMW car was found to have not renewed its road tax since 2020, while a Jaguar’s road tax expired in 2021,” he said.
Checks on several Malaysian vehicle and insurance websites showed that owners of high-performance cars with engines exceeding 3,000cc could face annual road tax payments ranging from about RM2,100 for 3.0-litre models to about RM10,900 for 5.0-litre vehicles.
Insurance premiums for such vehicles could range from about RM8,000 to over RM20,000 annually depending on the vehicle’s value, no-claim discount and coverage.
Zulkifly said the BMW owner had already been blacklisted but continued taking advantage of the situation by not renewing the vehicle’s road tax.
He said the operations this year resulted in 137 notices and actions issued for various offences.
He said a Ford Mustang recorded the highest annual road tax among the seized vehicles at RM10,900 a year.
“The vehicle’s road tax expired in 2022, meaning nearly four years of unpaid road tax had accumulated,” he said.
He added that some of the vehicle owners had continued using their cars on public roads for years without valid licences.
Common excuses given by owners included forgetting to renew their road tax or claiming the vehicles were rarely used. However, Zulkifly stressed that such claims were not acceptable as every vehicle on the road must possess a valid road tax.
The Ops Luxury operation began in Penang in June 2025, with 73 luxury vehicles seized between June and December last year, resulting in RM88,000 in lost revenue.
Source: The Star
