Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai
KUALA LUMPUR: Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday he would give up the WWW 15 vehicle registration number that was given to him for free by the Road Transport Department (RTD).
He said as he did not bid or tender for the number, it should go to the highest bidder.
Liow was criticised following the list of successful bidders for the coverted WWW vehicle registration numbers, appearing on the RTD website, which named him as the owner of WWW 15, at RM24,200.
He said his officer had followed the proper procedure to request for the registration number to use for the minister’s official car, and on June 6, had received an official letter from RTD confirming that he got the number, for free.
“As I now know there was bidding for this number, it is only right that I do not exercise my option. The number should go to the highest bidder,” he said in a statement, here.
Following the controversy, RTD director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said that as health minister, Liow was entitled to get the vehicle plate number for free.
He also later offered Liow three choices — he could get the number for free, pay the amount he had originally bidded or reject the offer.
The ‘WWW’ registration numbers had in total raked in RM12 million in sales for RTD. — Bernama