RedApe

Not according to this (posted above). A tourist visa is sufficient.

Getting a driving licence in Penang - Tropical Expat

shessojag

BEEN THERE DONE THAT. I was in Berjaya driving school in Johor last year and I've got a P licence now. The most stupid part of this rule is the 6 hours listening to Malay instructors talked in Bahasa. I don't speak Bahasa and I don't understand Bahasa and I had to do writing for eye test ( forming dots into shape of boat, numbers, square, rectangle and triangle those types) in that 6 hours session. For me I just guessed and asked a 17 years old student who sat next to me what Malay instructors wanted me to do.

After that 6 hours about a week or so you will have to book the place do the eye test online with those dots into shapes and numbers and you must pass 8 out of 8 first, then go for full exam 50 marks and you must pass 42 out of 50. It's in English this time. If you did not pass an eye test online...........like me. You then have to submit that fail paper with driving school and wait for school to issue a letter to send you to hospital for eye check and it must be in OPD in Government hospital, you will pass this if you are not blind. Then wait for school to book you for an online test again and you have to do an online eye test again before you can go for a full 50 marks exam. I actually asked the lady in that place I took online test if I fail eye test again like I did the last time 7 out of 8 what would happen? She said and I quoted " You must repeat the process again and go to hospital again " But if you pass and online eye test you can then continue the 50 marks exam. If you fail this part like I did 41/50 you can just wait about 30 minutes for system to accept new exam result from the same person and pay around 30 RM to do the exam. If you fail again ,you can just repeat it as long as you have enough cash with you and if you pass you then wait another week for a 15 and a half hours driving session. The driving session is around school compound and on the road about 3 kms maximum. At the end of the 15 ish class you then have to drive like when you learnt in those 15 and a half hours with the officer from driving school. He will be the one who allow you to go for the real driving test with JPJ officers. If you already knew how to drive and knew parts of car it is easy. You have to drive up the hill, do the A B or C parking it depends on the available spot in front of you then do a 3 points turn, braking at the ramp and roundabout. Then driving with JPJ officer in the car on the road. It is like 10 minutes driving included waiting for traffic lights. Not joking about 10 minutes on the road it could be less than 10 minutes if the traffic lights were green all the way. Then you pass and wait for a week for a P licence. Pick it up by yourself in driving school.

I have to do all this because I don't have a licence from my home country. Started from zero knowledge. But if you already have a driving licence or even a transcript that issued and certified by DVLA UK and still have to do all this, it is ridiculous and pure stupid. If you work and always travel on business trips, you don't have time for this s**t. I can do all this because I do not work. I'm a housewife and I have time.

Macsta

Many thanks for the information it is very useful but just highlights the futility of the change for those who have passed a test in a country recognised by the international legislation/treaty that Malaysia is a co signator.

PoolieAbroad

Short Update
I just renewed my license today so renewals seem to be no problem.
All done in 15 mins. Valid until passport expires or 5 years maximum.
Take old one, your passport and a passport photo with white background ( they did mine in the office mind you)
60 RM a year, No forms to fill in.............

inggris

In the UK, I think there is a document called "certificate of entitlement" issued by the DVLA but I am not sure whether it is still available as I am currently unable to find in its official website.

meched55

I understand getting a US consulate to say you have a valid drivers license is a joke. First of all it's state issued. Obviously the license itself is the evidence. It's good in all 50 states in the US.
LOL I believe AU works the same way. Incredible they come up with lame excuse. If we did relocate we won't have any reason to go back to the US to get an international drivers license once a year. Funny thing about that is it's really a joke they take your State license and write some stuff in a little white book says international drivers license. Pay the fee and walk out the door. Completely stupid in my opinion. That's what some of these countries want.

When I was there in April we got stopped at check points on Langkawi there were 3 of us on a scooter. They asked for my drivers license we all had helmets on, I showed them the Arizona drivers license no questions asked. I didn't have an international permit. No Plan on driving other than on that island.

IanBlakeley

As far as I know there is no such beast. When I went to the JPJ around a year ago they wanted the counterpart to the UK licence, that's been dispensed with since 2015 it no longer exists or is issued. I gave up at that point, should have pursued it but thought I'd try again once I had a longer visa, now of course cannot exchange.

meched55

I have started the MM2H process. Where I would like to live suburbs of KL. A car is needed for sure. The drivers license will have to be obtained some how? Sounds like a real challenge. I'll be working on paper work for that. PER INGGRIS was told that I needed a letter from my home country Consulate certifying that I had a valid licence.
I'll see what I can find here in the US about it.

RedApe

I think a short-term solution would be to obtain an International Drivers Permit which would be legitimate with your US License. In California AAA issues the IDP "passport". It's US$20. https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

​​​​​​​ Easiest in the US but they can mail you the permit abroad. https://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html#four

meched55

I can get the IDP here in Phoenix, it's after we relocate that's when I would need the MAILED permit.
Thanks

Buffie

FYI, check out www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/09/24/jpj-to-tighten-the-issuing-of-driving-licenses-in-light-of-lesen-terbang-menace/
(unable to paste url)

Reason why conversion was suspended.
Fingers crossed its just a suspension and will be lifted .

eCdD

Not suprised to read this. I have heard from Mainland Chinese before that their MM2H agents have settled the driving licence "problem". With no foreign driving licence, no letter from embassy and no test ...

montakute

If they do lift the suspension of foreign DL conversion and start converting again, the below may help.

Historically, a document that satisfies this requirement can be from the Drivers License Issuing Authority - i.e., the state/province department/ministry that issued your drivers license. See if your state transport agency provides an official letter (even better if certified or stamped - looks official) validating your drivers license, and/or perhaps you can get a drivers history transcript report. Try to get as much info as possible on the document which matches the info on your license: name, date of birth, license number, class of drivers license (and meaning), date received, expiration date. A document from the "License Issuing Authority" to validate a foreign DL was stated on the JPJ website in the requirements section on foreign DL conversion, non-automatic, in 2017, and such a document was accepted by the JPJ in 2017 when we converted our foreign Drivers Licenses.

Flyguy

My Malaysian Driving Licence was issued in 2013 on an exchange basis from my NI licence.
I recently realised it had expired. On reading this thread I was very worried I'd be refused a renewal. But it all went through quickly and without a hitch at the PJ DL Centre, and they didn't even fine me for the late renewal. So if you're already a swopped licence holder you should be ok.

SushiFan

Meanwhile I have heard multiple stories of people (non-Malaysian) who were able to renew their Malaysian driving license. None of them had any issue. So, once you have it you likely won't have any issue. But if you don't have it yet, it might be more cumbersome to get it.