The Road Transport Department (RTD) had sold the rights for the "Patriot" vanity vehicle plate for RM1 million to Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPN).

 

This constitutes only a tiny fraction of the RM10 million to RM15 million in gross earnings YPN expects to rake in from auctioning off the 9,999 number plates.

However, it is not sure if the RM1 million has already been paid to RTD or the sum will be paid after the auction.

 

"RTD will never lose, instead it will be making money," YPN vice-president Nadzim Johan told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

 

Nadzim also revealed that the lucrative scheme was granted by RTD without an open tender process.

 

YPN made an application for the project when Hishammuddin Hussein ( photo ) was acting transport minister, but it was approved after Liow Tiong Lai took charge of the ministry.

 

Pressed on what were the terms and conditions for the project, Nadzim said after RTD received a lump sum of RM1 million, YPN could set the prices of the car plates at its liberty. 

 

He claimed this was a win-win situation for both parties. 

 

"We will sell at whatever price we want. If somebody is willing to pay, they can also make money selling it," he said.

 

Nevertheless, the project has its risks too, Nadzim added, stating they had expenses such as publicity cost to cover.

 

"We will have to bear the costs if we fail," he said, adding YPN had spent about RM1 million since its inception in 2013. 

 

According to Nadzim ( photo ), more than 100 bidders have won their car number plates, with 500 to 600 taking part in the bidding.

 

When placing a bid, a 20 percent deposit is required. It will be refunded, if the bid is unsuccessful.

 

The "Patriot" car plate series range from "Patriot 1" to "Patriot 9999". Bidding can go as high as RM1 million, or to as low as RM500 for a number. 

 

Not Johor sultan

 

There have been five bids for the "Patriot 1" plate, which had reached RM1.3 million at the time of writing. 

 

Thus far, the record holder for the most expensive car number plate is Sultan Ibrahim Ismail, the Sultan of Johor, who paid RM520,000 for the "WWW 1" number plate in 2012.

Two years later, Sultan Ibrahim won the 'W1N' registration number with a bid of RM748,000.

 

YPN in a press statement yesterday reveal that a bidder “from the south” of Malaysia had put in a bid exceeding RM1.3 million for “Patriot 1”, raising talk that the bidder might be Sultan Ibrahim. However Nadzim denied this.

 

To take part in the YPN auction, a bidder would first have to pay a fee of RM20 to become a member of Briged Patriot. 

 

Thus far, YPN has approximately 1,000 members, Nadzim said. 

 

By the end of the campaign, YPN is projected to expand its membership to 10,000 members, he added. 

 

No political influence

 

Meanwhile, YPN president Brig-Gen (R) Husainay Hashim denied allegations that YPN was awarded the lucrative job due to his links with Umno.

 

Husainay was Umno executive secretary for five years during during the period when former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ( photo ) was Umno president.

 

"You are free to ask Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin. Ask them if we approached them for this project.

 

"I have nothing to hide," said Husainay, who stressed that he has never used his political connections.

 

For a man who had once walked through the corridors of power, the disappointed Husainay described current politics as "enemy politics".

 

It was his love for the nation that prompted him to promote patriotism, he said. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: It has been pointed out to us that YPN did not clearly state if the RM1 million had been paid to RTD or will be paid after the auction. The earlier version of this article had reported that the sum would be paid after the auction. We regret the error.