Most luxury car owners whose vehicles were seized for expired road tax in Penang recover them within one to three days after renewing their road tax and paying the relevant compounds, according to the state Road Transport Department (JPJ). Penang JPJ director Zulkifly Ismail said the process depended on whether the vehicles still had valid motor insurance, with longer delays if their policies had expired.
“Most of them settle everything within one to three days. They renew their road tax, pay the compound and get their cars back,” he said at the Penang JPJ Media Appreciation Night on Friday. Some owners had opted for six-month road tax despite having insurance coverage valid for a full year.
This allowed them to renew their road tax promptly after their vehicles were seized, provided their insurance remained valid. However, motorists whose insurance had also expired faced a longer process, as they had to appear before a magistrate and be sentenced for the offences.
