SIBU: The Road Transport Department’s Sibu branch has seized six luxury vehicles for operating with expired road tax and no valid insurance coverage during its ongoing Ops Luxury initiative.
Senior Enforcement Officer Nurul Fairezzah Safri confirmed the vehicles included two Toyota Vellfire units alongside single examples of a Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Crown Royale, Toyota Camry, and a Mercedes-Benz.
She stated that the operation specifically targeted luxury cars continuing to operate on public roads despite lacking the mandatory legal documentation.
“Some of the vehicles had expired road tax for several years without renewal,“ she explained in an official statement.
“Any luxury car found without a valid LKM and insurance will be seized immediately,“ she emphasised.
Nurul Fairezzah clarified that these particular offences cannot be resolved through standard compound fines and will instead proceed directly to court proceedings against both drivers and registered owners.
She confirmed that seized vehicles will only be released to their registered owners after full renewal of both road tax and insurance coverage, alongside obtaining formal approval from the Sarawak RTD director.
“Under the latest directive for private vehicles, including luxury cars, even if the road tax and insurance have expired for only one day, the driver and owner will still be issued a summons and the vehicle seized immediately,“ she detailed.
She further noted that commercial vehicles face immediate action if their road tax has expired for even one day, regardless of their insurance status.
From January until August 28, the Sibu RTD has impounded a total of 55 vehicles comprising 48 private cars and seven commercial vehicles.
Nurul Fairezzah stressed that enforcement actions aim not to inconvenience owners but to ensure universal compliance with road safety regulations among all users.
“Vehicle owners must always ensure their road tax and insurance are valid before use,“ she advised.
“If expired, they must be renewed immediately to avoid legal action,“ she concluded. – Bernama
