‘Not wrong to sell number plates to 3rd party’

KUALA LUMPUR: There is nothing wrong with the previous administration’s bidding process for special number plates.

A Road Transport Department (RTD) spokeman said under the law, the transport minister had the power to create special registration numbers, and RTD was allowed to sell these numbers en bloc to a third party.

The New Straits Times was told that the procedure for sales of special edition number plates warranted a need for a bidding process that was, by convention, done only by private companies.

“Under the previous administration, the transport minister is given the power to create any series of registration number plates.

“RTD will give distribution rights to private companies.

“For example, a company will pay RTD RM1 million for a series of special edition number plates that ranges from 1 to 9999.

“This company will hold the bidding process to sell these numbers.”

Section 127 of the Road Transport Act mentions that a minister is responsible to create any series of number plates. This includes the authorisation of documents, plates and marks allowed to be used on all vehicles.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke yesterday blamed the previous administration’s policy of selling special vehicle number plates for a lost of huge revenue.