According to the Ministry of Transport, the Malaysian Driving Licence (LMM) for commercial vehicles under the current Class E licence category which includes E2, E1 and E, will be soon be merged into a single Class E Licence, effective from March 1.
This was relayed by Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, he added the merger would simplify matters and save time as well as open up wider employment opportunities for individuals working as commercial vehicle drivers, especially in the post-Covid-19 pandemic period. “They can drive all classes of heavy vehicles (by having the LMM Class E Licence) and are not limited to a certain category of weight without load (BTM) heavy vehicles only,” he said.
The E licence involves motor vehicles with non-load weight exceeding 7,500 kg, E1 not exceeding 7,500 kg and E2 not exceeding 5,000 kg. Of the approximately 90,000 E1 and E2 Licence holders on record, only about 62,000 are still active, of whom only 11,000 have the Vocational Licence.
With this change, logistics and ehailing service providers can expand their working capacity beyond what their licenses allow, this will also save the hassle of multiple tests and exams.
To smoothen the process, the Minister said existing E1 and E2 licence holders will be asked to undergo a transition programme to obtain the E Licence. Applications start from March 1 and the individuals have a period of five years to undergo the programme. The transition programme will also be offered to Vocational Licence holders in Class E1 and E2 to get the Class E Vocational Licence.
