The Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) of Indonesia, Bambang Soesatyo, stresses the need for clear legal regulations regarding the legalization of custom vehicles in the country. To address this issue, Soesatyo, who also serves as the Chairman of Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI), will hold further discussions with the Ministry of Transportation to refine the Draft Ministerial Regulation on Customization of Motor Vehicles. Despite the substantial size of the industry and its contribution to the national automotive sector, there are currently no specific regulations governing the legality of custom vehicles in Indonesia. This lack of legal clarity has led to foreign entities enticing Indonesian custom industry players to relocate and work on custom vehicles in their respective countries. Soesatyo highlights the potential loss to the Indonesian custom industry if these players are drawn away to other nations.
IMI proposes a solution by suggesting that the legalization of custom vehicles and the conversion of fuel-powered vehicles to electric-powered ones should be based on chassis numbers rather than engine numbers. This approach would be more appropriate for establishing the legality of conversion vehicles. Despite the existence of legal foundations, such as Ministerial Regulation No. 65 of 2020 and Ministerial Regulation No. 15 of 2022 from the Ministry of Transportation, the current requirement for engine numbers on registration certificates and vehicle ownership documents poses challenges to the legality of conversion vehicles, particularly for electric vehicles that lack traditional engines. Soesatyo explains that custom vehicles often rely on engines from manufacturers that are no longer operational or face difficulties in obtaining engines from other sources. Furthermore, he notes that numerous advanced countries worldwide have transitioned away from using engine numbers as a criterion for vehicle legality, instead opting for chassis numbers.
