This information may change. Always check the official source.Last verified: August 2026 by Ondřej Kadlec
Driving in Malaysia: the three basics
Drives on the
left
The driver sits on the right and overtakes on the right. Roundabouts turn clockwise.
Your licence
Licence plus an IDP
Your own licence works with an International Driving Permit beside it. Get the permit at home before you fly - no country issues one for another country's licence.
Motorways
Tolls by distance
Motorways charge for the distance driven, at barriers or by camera. Budget for it on a long drive; it is rarely trivial.
Toll plazas take the Touch 'n Go card, which is also the way to pay for parking and public transport.
Malaysian motorways are excellent and tolled through the Touch 'n Go card, which pays for parking and trains as well.
A good motorway network, tolled entirely through the Touch 'n Go card.
Touch 'n Go is the only way to pay at most plazas since cash lanes were phased out. Hire cars come with a card; top it up at any petrol station or 7-Eleven.
Traffic drives on the left and the North-South Expressway runs the length of the peninsula, Singapore to the Thai border, in a long day.
The alcohol limit is 0.05 % after the 2020 amendment lowered it, with severe penalties above.
Motorcycles use dedicated lanes on the main expressways and weave between cars everywhere else.
Kuala Lumpur's traffic and multi-level junctions are demanding; the car is worth having for Cameron Highlands, Penang and the east coast rather than for the capital.
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