Ex-national footballer, motivational speaker latest to have luxury cars seized

KUALA LUMPUR: Luxury vehicles belonging to a former national football player and a motivational speaker were among those seized in a nationwide Road Transport Department (RTD) crackdown on motorists failing to renew their road tax.

Road Transport Department deputy director-general (Planning and Operations) Datuk Jazmanie Shafawi said the seizures were carried out under Op Luxury, involving premium models such as Porsche, Lamborghini and other high-end marques.

“The footballer’s Toyota Vellfire was detained early yesterday morning around Bukit Bintang after it was found to have three offences — no valid insurance, expired road tax and an expired driving licence.

“The road tax had expired in December 2025, meaning it had been about five months,” he said, adding that the vehicle had been seized and sent to the Kuala Lumpur RTD seizure depot.

“In another case, a motivational speaker’s Brabus G-Wagon was seized in the Klang Valley after it was found to have expired road tax and no valid insurance,” he said at a press conference at the RTD seizure depot here.

Also present were the department’s senior enforcement director Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan and its Kuala Lumpur director Hamidi Adam.

Jazmanie said the motivational speaker’s vehicle was displaying an old registration number despite having undergone a number plate interchange process, which constituted an offence.

“The vehicle was valued at more than RM500,000, with annual road tax exceeding RM3,000,” he said.

Jazmanie said most offenders typically claimed they had “overlooked” renewing their road tax.

“Such excuses are increasingly untenable as the MyJPJ application provides automated reminders ahead of expiry dates.

“Digital notifications mean vehicle owners are adequately alerted and should have no reason to miss renewals,” he said.

On Op Luxury, Jazmanie said that, to date, the department has recorded a total of 1,814 luxury vehicle seizures, with 899 seizures in 2025 and 915 this year.

He also warned that failure to renew road tax is a serious offence under the Road Transport Act and that vehicles without valid road tax are subject to compounds and seizure without compromise.

“Any vehicle used on the road without valid road tax is also at risk of not being covered by insurance in the event of an accident,” he said.

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المصدر: New Straits Times