You might think that owners of high-end vehicles would keep their paperwork in perfect order, yet that’s not always how it plays out in . In recent months, the country’s Road Transport Department (JPJ) has seized 258 luxury and exotic cars over a variety of legal and administrative violations.
The ongoing enforcement campaign, called “Operation Luxury”, targets owners without valid insurance, those with expired driver’s or vehicle licenses, and vehicles running fake or inconsistent number plates or mismatched chassis numbers. So far, the department has carried out three rounds of seizures: 101 cars on June 24, another 53 on August 1, and a further 104 on August 10.
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Among the most eye-catching were a green Lotus Elise, a yellow Lamborghini Huracan STO, a black Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a yellow Lamborghini Urus, a matte gray , an orange Porsche Cayman GT4, and a red Ferrari 458 Italia, hardly the sort of vehicles you would expect to be caught up in such violations.
A broad mix of high-end models
Photos shared on JPJ’s official social media pages also show a variety of , including the Cayman, Cayenne, 911, and Panamera, alongside several premium Toyotas such as the Land Cruiser 300 Series, Alphard, and Vellfire. There were also numerous sedans and coupes from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
In three cases, the cars were driven by foreigners who had neither paid road tax nor held valid insurance. The largest share of confiscations, 93 out of 258, occurred in Kuala Lumpur. Tuan Muhammad Kifli bin Ma Hassan, JPJ’s Senior Director of Enforcement, said owners had been notified and urged to take corrective action before the vehicles were seized.
A firm stance from authorities
The department stated that “the implementation of Operation Luxury sends a clear sign that JPJ will not compromise the any party that fails to comply with road rules. Owning luxury vehicle is no excuse to ignore responsibilities as a legal road user”. Officers call vehicle owners to make sure that all relevant documents and corresponding licenses are updated and valid.
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According to a from the New Straits Times, more than 1,000 cases have been identified involving owners who failed to renew road tax and insurance for extended periods, including some high-profile figures such as celebrities and business tycoons. Local media outlet reports that in most cases, vehicles seized under Malaysia’s Road Transport Act 1987 are returned once taxes and insurance are renewed.
High costs for high-end cars
JPJ says Operation Luxury will continue on a regular basis and encourages the public to report traffic law violations through its dedicated app or by email.
It’s worth noting that the country’s taxation regime is quite high on luxury vehicles. According to , Malaysian buyers of high-end models face a 30 percent import duty, a 10 percent sales tax, and a 105 percent excise duty, which together can triple the purchase price. On top of that, any vehicle costing more than 200,000 Malaysian Ringgit (about $47,200) is subject to an additional High Value Goods Tax ranging from 5 to 10 percent.