You may know you have a common law right to travel – of which using a car is part of that right. It is a right, not a privilege. And I’ve rented cars without a licence in Thailand and Malaysia anyway. But if you want to be government sanctioned in Malaysia, here is the story.
And to give you another angle, there is a blog written in 2010 about getting a licence in KL, which may be of interest: Getting a driving license in Malaysia. But be warned, as with so much else, the government changes its rules every month or two. Nothing is certain for long.
First of all, anyone with Malaysian IC（identity card）or foreign passport holders who are over 17 years old can apply for Malaysian driving licence class D, including tourists. You may need two months in total from the beginning to finally receiving the Provisional licence; it depends on JPJ, Road Transport Department Malaysia to process your documents.
This blog is written by Mrs. Tropical Expat, who decided finally to get a licence.
THE RESEARCH
First I found a list of driving schools in Penang, and found the closest in Pulau Tikus – next to Police station – it’s in a printing shop, but in a corner is a chair and table used by the driving school.
The lady showed me an ‘all inclusive’ price list, cost RM1650 – she had no handout to give. She couldn’t explain what was included in the price because of her English speaking ability. I asked a local friend for help, even so the itemised prices didn’t add up to RM1650. I wasn’t sure about this place.
Tropical Expat 