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Malaysian authorities ask Singapore driver to pay tax on speaker purchased 2 years ago

A man driving into Johor Bahru from Singapore said he was stopped by Malaysian customs officers and told that he had to pay tax for the speaker in his car boot.But that speaker was purchased two years ago, said Singapore-based balloon artist and content creator Norvin Ong.The befuddled man took to social media on Oct 21 to share his experience,...

AsiaOne Singapore2026-10-27 07:30查看原文 ↗

A man driving into Johor Bahru from Singapore said he was stopped by Malaysian customs officers and told that he had to pay tax for the speaker in his car boot.

But that speaker was purchased two years ago, said Singapore-based balloon artist and content creator Norvin Ong.

The befuddled man took to social media on Oct 21 to share his experience, which purportedly occurred at JB's Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex at about 11.40pm on Oct 20.

The man told Shin Min Daily News that he was organising his office and had placed the speaker in its original packaging to bring home.

"But I was stopped by the officer and asked if I had a receipt for it," Ong recounted in his video.

While Ong explained that the appliance was purchased years ago, the officer looked up its selling price on Google.

He said: "I was second-guessing myself on whether I still had the receipt, so I searched the plastic bag and really found the receipt, which was from 2024."

Then, Ong said the officer converted the stated purchase price of $185 into Malaysian Ringgit and calculated the 10 per cent duty amount of RM59 (S$18.50).

Accepting that he would have to pay tax on the item, Ong said he was offered the payment options of either cash or card.

He decided to pay by card — which was when he was allegedly told to "wait until 12am".

"I don't know why it is necessary to wait for that time to make the Visa payment," Ong questioned.

"Can anyone explain? Is there really such a thing? If I entered JB at 10pm, does it mean I have to wait two hours to pay?"

Ong said he successfully paid the tax after 12am and left the complex.

He also cautioned the public against bringing electronics into JB, explaining that another female driver had also been taxed on an air purifier she won at a company event.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@qmaojunyong/video/7698740386436599060[/embed]

Goods valued at above RM500 taxable

The video has sparked a debate online, with netizens musing over Ong's wait for card payment.

Some suggested that the system could have been undergoing its closing procedure for the day and that digital payments could interrupt the process.

Others shared similar experiences being taxed for items including a carpet and shoes.

"I also [got] taxed RM1,300 last week... I had many camping gear and 1 big DJI power station," a TikTok user wrote.

A Facebook user also explained why Ong was taxed: "Because it's in retail box. Potentially for sales... As long there is an official receipt issued, there is no wrong."

Ong confirmed in a TikTok comment that he was given a receipt for the tax payment.

According to the Royal Malaysian Customs Department's website, tourists or travellers entering or leaving Malaysia are required to declare all taxable goods, prohibited items, cash amounts, and negotiable monetary instruments.

Goods valued at below RM500 are exempted from customs duty or tax payment for travellers entering Malaysia through all modes of transportation except air.

lim.kewei@asiaone.com

一名男子从新加坡驾车进入柔佛州新山时，被马来西亚海关官员拦下，并被告知他必须为汽车后备箱里的扬声器缴纳税款。

但新加坡气球艺术家兼内容创作者诺文·翁表示，那台音箱是两年前购买的。

这位困惑的男子于 10 月 21 日在社交媒体上分享了他的经历，据称此事发生在 10 月 20 日晚上 11 点 40 分左右，地点是新山海关、移民和检疫大楼。

该男子告诉《新明日报》，他当时正在整理办公室，并将音箱放回原包装盒中准备带回家。

“但我被警察拦住，问我有没有收据，”翁在他的视频中回忆道。

Ong解释说这台电器是几年前购买的，但警官还是在谷歌上查了一下它的售价。

他说：“我当时还在犹豫要不要保留收据，所以我在塑料袋里翻找，结果真的找到了收据，上面显示的是 2024 年的收据。”

然后，翁表示，该官员将标明的购买价格 185 美元换算成马来西亚林吉特，并计算出 10% 的关税金额为 59 林吉特（18.50 新元）。

Ong表示，他接受了需要为这件商品缴税的事实，并被告知可以选择现金或刷卡支付。

他决定刷卡付款——就在这时，他却被告知“等到凌晨 12 点”。

“我不知道为什么一定要等到那个时间才能进行Visa付款，”翁先生质疑道。