The Road Transport Department (RTD) has given its assurance that it would revoke the special vehicle registration plates arrangement with the Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPN) should the NGO fail to meet its conditions.

“It is important to note that failure to meet any of the requirements detailed by JPJ will result in the immediate revocation of the arrangement with YPN,” said RTD director-general Ismail Ahmad ( photo ) in a statement today.

The vehicle registration plates, bearing the word ‘Patriot’, are subject to the following terms and conditions:

1. Only numbers 1 to 9999 are included.

2. Payment to the government amounting to RM1 million to be made regardless of whether or not YPN is able to sell all the plates.

3. Payment of 50 percent of the said RM1 million to be made before registration commences, with the balance paid exactly six months from the registration date.

4. YPN is only given one year commencing January to December 2015 to complete bidding and sales of the Patriot number plates.

5. Each registration plate is to be offered to one individual only to avoid any duplication.

6. Owners’ information of the special registration number (Patriot 1 – Patriot 9999) shall be submitted to the RTD headquarters for record-keeping purposes.

7. The specification of the special Patriot registration plate shall comply with the provisions under the rules of registration of vehicles (Registration and Licensing 1959).

No gov't guarantee on earnings

Meanwhile, Ismail said the RTD reserved the right to determine additional terms and conditions.

“On this score, the RTD will require YPN to produce a detailed report of how proceeds from the Patriot vehicle registration plate programme will be channelled to patriotic or social outreach programmes.

“Additionally, there is no guarantee whatsoever that all the plates can be sold and how much can be earned from sales of these plates. The figures publicised by YPN is merely a projection by YPN.”

Ismail stressed that the government had not guaranteed any kind of earnings for YPNM.

Pointing out how the Patriot vehicle registration plate programme was approved for the purpose of “inculcating patriotism” among Malaysian youths and for social outreach, Ismail added that the RTD was willing to cooperate fully with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), if the need arises, to assist in “any way possible”.

Malaysiakini, in a special report on Tuesday, had highlighted that the YPN committee comprised politically-linked individuals, with at least three of them having the same paternal name.

The majority of the committee members were also executives in the Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia (PPIM), which controversially called for a boycott of Chinese businesses that were supportive of the opposition.

YPN had said it expected to earn between RM10 million and RM15 million through the auction for the plates, and the proceeds would be used to “promote patriotism”.