MILLIONS LOST THROUGH OUTSOURCED SPECIAL NUMBERS BIDS

‘Missed revenue due to outsourcing of bidding of special number plates’

THE previous administration lost millions in revenue by giving out the bidding and sales of special vehicle registration series to non-governmental organisations and companies.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said while the private firms got the bulk of the money by selling them to the highest bidders, the government received a payment of only RM1 million per series.

“Let’s say one series fetched about RM5 million, there were more than 30 series before this.

“The (previous) government lost hundreds of millions of ringgit due to this leakage,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.

Loke said the Road Transport Department (RTD) would, from now on, take over the bidding and sales of special vehicle number plates, adding that the revenue would go to the government’s coffers.

He announced the results of bids for the “MALAYSIA” series, which was opened in conjunction with National Day.

The government earned RM13.16 million through the bidding and sales of the “MALAYSIA” series.

“We expect to come up with a special number plate series every two months.

“By doing this, we hope to generate more income for the government,” Loke said.

He said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would be offered a special number plate, “MALAYSIA 2020”.