Motorists go the extra mile for the number plate of their choice

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian motorists may be reluctant to pay their summonses but they will splurge a mind-boggling RM150mil every year for the number plate of their choice.

Records from the Road Transport Department showed that the highest bid was RM300,100 – for the number plate MCA 1 two months ago. The same bidder, Asset Nusa Sdn Bhd, also spent RM101,000 to acquire MCA 2.

The bid overtook the RM242,000 for TAY 1 last year. Prior to that, the record was held by a businessman who reportedly paid RM200,900 for TAN 1.

The JPJ website has listed out the bidders and amounts paid for the MCA 1 to MCA 9999 plates for vehicles registered in Malacca.

Among them were Noraini Abdul Ghapor, who spent more than RM19,000 on two numbers (RM14,444 for MCA 4 and RM4,888 for MCA 7777), and Tan Lay Kang, who forked out RM42,000 for three numbers (RM15,400 for MCA 8888, and RM13,300 each for MCA 3333 and MCA 9999).

Another is MCA 1949, purchased by the MCA for RM2,200 to symbolise the year the party was founded.

Duyong state assemblyman Gan Tian Loo from Malacca spent RM28,600 on MCA 5.

But it isn’t just the auspicious numbers that get the people’s attention.

A news report in 2004 noted that the plate TAH1 was bought for RM14,300 by someone who must have had a sense of humour.

Also, someone posted on a web forum several years ago that the most beautiful number plate he had seen was BBB 888 as it was designed like a piece of art.

Former Penang DAP strongman Gooi Hock Seng went around with MR 6001 to reflect his surname.

Some motorists are willing to hold off the purchase of their vehicles until they get the right number plate.

T. Manuel, who bid for 1988, said: “I waited a while and finally got it for only RM300,” he said.

Another motorist, M. Phylis Mann, said she paid RM200 for the number 1798, which she said signified long-term prosperity.

In the past, JPJ had also released special licence plates for major events such as the 1998 Commonwealth Games and meetings of Asean and the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

“I will not be surprised if we get huge bids for plates starting with WWW – the acronym for the World Wide Web,” Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said.

Another possible popular choice would be the Selangor plate carrying the letters BMW.

The JPJ has earned significant revenue from tenders of special numbers, which is its third highest source of revenue after the renewal of road tax and driving licences.

Currently there are 21,250,145 registered vehicles on the road.

Another is MCA 1949, purchased by the MCA for RM2,200 to symbolise the year the party was founded.

Duyong state assemblyman Gan Tian Loo from Malacca spent RM28,600 on MCA 5.

But it isn’t just the auspicious numbers that attract the people’s attention.

A news report in 2004 noted that the plate TAH1 was bought for RM14,300 by someone who must have had a sense of humour.

Also, someone posted on a web forum several years ago that the most beautiful number plate he had seen was BBB 888, as it was designed like a piece of art.

Former Penang DAP strongman Gooi Hock Seng went around with MR 6001 to reflect his surname.

Some motorists are willing to hold off the purchase of their vehicles until they get the right number plate.

T. Manuel, who bid for 1988, said:

“I waited a while and finally got it for only RM300,” he said.

Another motorist, M. Phylis Mann said she paid RM200 for the number 1798, which she said signified long-term prosperity.

In the past, JPJ had also released special licence plates for major events such as the 1998 Commonwealth Games and meetings of Asean and the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

“I will not be surprised if we get huge bids for plates starting with WWW – the acronym for the World Wide Web,” Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said.

Another possible popular choice would be the Selangor plate carrying the letters BMW.

The JPJ has earned significant revenue from tenders of special numbers, which is its third highest source of revenue after the renewal of road tax and driving licences.

We’re making money: Twitter

Twitter has said it had become profitable, disclosing that its live messaging service is carrying 130 million daily tweets, or short messages, from its members.

The US-based company, which has been one of the fastest-growing social-networking services, said 40 per cent of tweets are transmitted by mobile devices, typically smartphones.

“We’re making money,” chief executive Dick Costolo said in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress expo, but gave no figures.

First power line from Bakun to Bintulu completed

KUCHING: The first line to transmit power from Bakun dam to Similajau, Bintulu, has been completed while Sarawak Energy Bhd's (SEB) Similajau power sub-station in Bintulu is expected to be ready by March.

Works are now underway to construct a power sub-station within the proposed Samalaju Industrial Park to supply electricity to energy-intensive industries like the aluminium smelting and solar panel plants.

Naim Holdings Bhd corporate services and human resource senior director Ricky Kho said the first 118km long Bakun-Similajau transmission line under Package A was completed six months ago.

“We are now constructing the second parallel transmission line under Package B. This new line is expected to be ready in January next year,” he told StarBizWeek yesterday.


Ricky Kho says Naim is constructing a second parallel transmission.
The transmission lines will be linked to the Bakun switch yard, which is connected to the Bakun power house.

The RM209mil Bakun-Similajau transmission line project is undertaken by a joint-venture between China's Sinohydro Corp and Naim Holdings.

According to Bakun dam developer, Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd, the Bakun dam is expected to produce its first 300MW in six months.

Sarawak Hidro managing director Zulkifle Osman had said wet testing of the first of the eight turbines was expected to be carried out in April when the water level reached between 185m and 190m.

The water level at the dam had now risen to more than 160m since the impoundment started about three months ago.

SEB transmission general manager Victor Wong said the Similajau sub-station project was more than 80% completed, and it would be operational in April.

“All the main structures of the sub-station have been put up, and the contractor is now doing the control wiring,” he added.

The equipment for the sub-station is supplied by Siemens and Areva.

Wong said the Similajau sub-station was designed to handle more than 4,000MW, including all the power produced by the Bakun dam (2,400MW) and Murum dam (944MW ), which is now being built by SEB.

“The Similajau sub-station is part of the state grid, and the bulk of its power will be for use of energy-intensive industries in the Samalaju Industrial Park,” he added.

Wong said these industries would get their power supply from the proposed Samalaju sub-station, expected to be completed next year. SEB plans to develop a 500kV transmission system in stages, in co-ordination with the development of several hydro electric dams in the state.

The current 275kV network will be expanded to tap the 500kV backbone, and to connect all the dams into the state grid system.

Sarawak Hidro is now in advanced negotiations with SEB, which is majority-owned by the Sarawak government, to sell the power from Bakun to the latter.

SEB's wholly-owned Syarikat SESCo generates, transmits, distributes and supplies power to the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors statewide.

On the state's plan to purchase the Bakun Dam, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud had said the state government was willing to raise its bid for the dam ownership to RM7bil, from an initial RM6bil, if the federal government could offer flexi payment modes such as in the form of a bridging loan.