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Hadi Azmi

Malaysia lost US$8.5 million in unpaid road tax after politicians and VIPs skipped payments on their Rolls-Royces, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, a revelation that has triggered public anger over double standards and elite impunity.
Across Asia, anger at elite privilege is boiling, with resentment over the perceived excesses of “nepo babies” toppling the government in Nepal and sparking protests in the Philippines. Indonesians are pushing back against the owners of luxury vehicles abusing sirens to cut through traffic, which appears to be a curse reserved only for the ordinary public.
For Malaysia, annual road tax receipts levied on every vehicle at varying rates amount to almost 5 billion ringgit (US$1.2 billion), one of the highest sources of revenue behind customs duties and income tax.
But on Wednesday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed that owners of over 6,300 vehicles from just five luxury marques – Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari and Porsche – had not been paying for their driving privileges.


“Overall, just these five types of vehicles have reached almost 35.7 million ringgit in unrenewed road tax,” Loke said at a press conference at his office in Putrajaya. “This amount involves less than 10,000 vehicles but the value of the arrears is massive.”
The findings are part of the ministry’s “Ops Luxury”, launched to detect and seize luxury vehicles without valid road tax and insurance.
According to government statistics, there are over 28,000 vehicles from the five brands cumulatively registered in Malaysia, meaning that one fifth are being driven without valid paperwork.
Malaysia taxes vehicles according to their engine capacity, starting from 20 ringgit (US$4.80) for those with engines below 1,000cc up to more than 15,000 ringgit for a 6,000cc Bentley.
Fine ‘worth it’
Some motorists were unfazed if their cars were seized, Loke said, as they considered the fine of 300 ringgit “worth it”. “There was even a celebrity who was caught. The enforcement director was on the ground at the time, and the person simply said he forgot. Some cases go back as far as three years,” he said.
Hinting that these vehicles are owned by prominent public figures, including politicians and businesspeople, Loke stopped short of revealing their identities, saying he “does not wish to humiliate” them.
“This operation is not intended to embarrass anyone but to send a clear message that all parties, regardless of status, must obey the law,” he stressed.
The public reacted in anger to the revelation, questioning how long this had been happening and why the Road Transport Department (JPJ) had not taken action against the luxury car owners.

“We seldom see police or JPJ halt those Rolls-Royces or Ferraris or Lambos or Bentleys during roadblocks,” social media user Fais Al Hajari said, alleging that cheaper cars are often targeted instead.
Others accused the authorities of being scared to penalise these individuals, saying “most cops don’t want to get into trouble” so they just ignore these luxury cars.
“If they get stopped, they will give the ‘Do you know who I am?’ speech,” said social media user Gary Lee.
Aside from the issue of arrogance, these cars also pose a safety threat to other motorists as cars without a valid road tax cannot be insured in the event of an accident.


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Owners of over 6,300 Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari and Porsche cars have not been paying for the privilege, minister reveals


Owners of over 6,300 Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari and Porsche cars have not been paying for the privilege, minister reveals.


Malaysia puts brakes on luxury car owners skipping out on US$8.5 million in road tax

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Owners of over 6,300 Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari and Porsche cars have not been paying for the privilege, minister reveals

Owners of over 6,300 Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari and Porsche cars have not been paying for the privilege, minister reveals