Use of speed limit devices on heavy vehicles in Malaysia to be mandatory from next year – Loke

The transport ministry has announced that all heavy vehicle and bus operators will need to activate existing speed limit devices (SLD) on their vehicles, because their use will be mandatory from January 1, 2026. For vehicles without an SLD already present, the device will need to be installed by July next year.

Transport minister Anthony Loke said the SLD, which is a speed limit control device or system designed to limit the maximum speed of a vehicle, will prevent certain types of commercial vehicles from driving beyond the set speed limit, which in accordance with the national speed ​limit will be set at 90 km/h for heavy vehicles and buses.

“Manufacturers are required to standardise their SLD configurations to only allow a maximum speed of 90 km/h. Even if the road’s speed limit is higher, such as 110 km/h on highways, the SLD will still cap the vehicle’s speed at 90km/h,” he said during a briefing on the matter earlier today. He added that on roads with lower speed limits, such as 60 km/h zones, drivers will simply need to adhere to the set limit.

He said the use of the SLD, which will be tied to a vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU), is mandatory for goods vehicles (maximum weight exceeding 3,500 kg) and passenger vehicles (carrying more than eight passengers and having a maximum weight exceeding 5,000 kg) registered before January 1, 2015.

This will also apply to rebuild vehicles and used imported goods vehicles (maximum weight exceeding 3,500 kg). For all these vehicles, enforcement of SLD activation in the ECU will begin on January 1 next year.

Loke added that for the above mentioned vehicle types that are not equipped with an SLD system, it will be mandatory to install a retrofit SLD device that has been approved by JPJ, with the work being carried out in workshops and technical service facilities recognized by JPJ. He said enforcement of the installation of SLDs as retrofits will begin on July 1, 2026.

Accordingly, monitoring of these devices will be carried out through a functionality verification document and SLD report, which can be prepared by vehicle manufacturers/producers, workshops and technical service facilities as well as any accredited certification body (by the Malaysian Standards Department) recognized by JPJ, with the deadline for this being October 1, 2025.

These documents need to be renewed every two years and must be brought to the motor vehicle inspection centre (PPKM) and when applying for or renewing a permit from the land public transport agency (APAD). Loke said the document must be carried at all times in the vehicle for enforcement purposes by JPJ.