The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has announced that from 19th May 2025 they will no longer convert foreign driving licences to Malaysian licences.
The only exceptions to this policy are for diplomats, Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) participants, and Malaysians who only hold foreign licences.
Foreign spouses, permanent residents and others will no longer be eligible for licence conversion.
More information is available here:
JPJ's announcement also provided guidance for individuals who use their foreign licence to drive in Malaysia:
- Those from countries party to the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic 1949 and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic 1968 may drive using an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued by the relevant authority in their home country.
- Nationals of ASEAN countries may use their home driving licence, in accordance with the 1985 Agreement on the Recognition of Domestic Driving Licences Issued by ASEAN Countries
However, the JPJ announcement reported in The Star (see link above) also says that foreign driving licences, whether from ASEAN nations or other countries, can only be used for a maximum of 12 months.
After that time a Malaysian driving licence should be obtained by taking a driving test. This is similar to the practice in some other countries, such as the UK.
I took the Malaysian driving test in March 2020 during a period when licence conversions were similarly restricted (September 2018 to December 2020). Details of the process are here: