JPJ Busts Lorry Tyre Rental Racket for Puspakom Checks
Pahang JPJ uncovers an illegal lorry tyre rental racket used to trick Puspakom inspections. Find out how operators cheat safety tests and face strict action.
The illegal lorry tyre rental racket in Pahang is an illicit automotive service uncovered by Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Negeri Pahang (JPJ Pahang) where commercial vehicle operators rent compliant tyres temporarily to fraudulently pass Puspakom periodic vehicle inspections. Operating through local workshops, this scheme circumvents Malaysian commercial road safety standards by swapping roadworthy tyres onto heavy vehicles strictly during inspection, only to refit worn or non-compliant tyres afterwards. This enforcement discovery directly affects commercial vehicle fleet owners, logistics operators, and road users navigating Malaysia's heavy-transport corridors by exposing illegal circumvention of Puspakom roadworthiness audits.
Key Facts
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Racket Type | Commercial lorry tyre rental for Puspakom inspection fraud |
| Rental Fee Range | RM100 to RM150 per service |
| Enforcement Operation | Ops Bengkel |
| Primary Location Detected | Gebeng, Kuantan, Pahang |
| Enforcement Agencies Involved | JPJ Negeri Pahang, KPDN Pahang |
| Total Enforcement Personnel | 17 officers (10 JPJ officers, 7 KPDN officers) |
| Workshops Inspected in Operation | 1 tyre premises plus 8 car and motorcycle workshops in Kuantan |
| Inspection Target | Pusat Pemeriksaan Kenderaan Berkomputer (PUSPAKOM) periodic inspection |
| Related Standards and Markings | SIRIM certification compliance for retreaded tyres (tayar celup) |
Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Pahang uncovered an illicit operation renting commercial lorry tyres for RM100 to RM150 to bypass mandatory Puspakom vehicle safety tests.
How Does the Lorry Tyre Rental Scheme Cheat Puspakom Inspections?
The scheme functions by temporarily fitting commercial lorries with roadworthy tyres to pass mandatory Puspakom computerised inspections before returning the leased tyres to the workshop. Unscrupulous heavy-vehicle operators pay a rental fee of RM100 to RM150 per inspection cycle to circumvent statutory tread-depth and safety specifications without buying permanent, certified tyres.
The discovery was made during a joint enforcement operation dubbed Ops Bengkel, executed in Gebeng, Kuantan, by JPJ Pahang alongside the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) Pahang. Authorities revealed that an initial inspection uncovered an active workshop offering compliant tyres on hire strictly to beat safety evaluations.
“Pemeriksaan mendapati terdapat sebuah premis yang menawarkan perkhidmatan penyewaan tayar lori kepada pengusaha dengan kadar bayaran antara RM100 hingga RM150 bagi tujuan melepasi pemeriksaan berkala PUSPAKOM. Penemuan itu sedang diteliti bagi tindakan lanjut.”
— Statement by Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) Negeri Pahang
Beyond the tyre rental premises in Gebeng, enforcement officers audited eight car and motorcycle workshops around Kuantan, finding unapproved vehicle accessories including non-compliant vehicle registration plates, uncertified exhaust systems, and illegal motorcycle tyres.
Commercial operators in Gebeng paid rental fees between RM100 and RM150 per vehicle to temporarily install compliant tyres solely for Puspakom inspections.
Who Is This For in Malaysia?
This development affects Malaysian commercial vehicle operators, heavy-haulage logistics fleets, and workshop owners operating across industrial routes such as Gebeng and Kuantan Port. For transport managers facing maintenance costs, resorting to rental schemes breaches Malaysian road safety regulations and compromises vehicle braking safety on rain-slicked tropical expressways.
Malaysian road conditions, characterised by persistent tropical heat and sudden heavy downpours, place intense demands on heavy-vehicle tyres. Deploying sub-specification or unverified retreaded tyres (tayar celup) without legitimate SIRIM certification creates severe blow-out and aquaplaning risks on key industrial transit corridors like the East Coast Expressway (LPT).
Fleet operators and logistics companies in Malaysia face severe regulatory penalties from JPJ and KPDN if caught using temporary tyre rentals to evade roadworthiness standards.
Common Questions
How much do workshops charge to rent lorry tyres for Puspakom inspections?
According to enforcement findings by JPJ Pahang in Gebeng, workshops charged commercial lorry operators between RM100 and RM150 per transaction to rent roadworthy tyres specifically to pass scheduled Puspakom periodic vehicle inspections.
Which agencies led the Ops Bengkel raid in Gebeng, Kuantan?
Ops Bengkel was conducted as a joint inter-agency enforcement operation involving 17 enforcement officers in total, comprising 10 personnel from JPJ Negeri Pahang and seven officers from KPDN Pahang.
What other non-compliant vehicle modifications were seized during the Kuantan raids?
During inspections across eight car and motorcycle workshops in Kuantan, officers detected non-specification spare parts and accessories, specifically non-standard registration number plates, unapproved exhaust modifications, and non-compliant motorcycle tyres.
Sources and Methodology
This article is based on official enforcement reports and source reporting from Careta regarding operations conducted by Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) Negeri Pahang in collaboration with the Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup (KPDN) Pahang.
- Primary source: JPJ Negeri Pahang bongkar aktiviti sewa tayar lori, lulus pemeriksaan PUSPAKOM, published by Careta (careta.my).
- Currency values are reported natively in Ringgit Malaysia (RM) as originally issued by the enforcement agencies.
- Terminology and institutional names (JPJ, KPDN, PUSPAKOM, SIRIM) are preserved to reflect the Malaysian regulatory framework.
This article was last updated on 17 October 2026. Information specific to Malaysia was verified against enforcement statements released by JPJ Negeri Pahang.