'Liar' Liow ‘not sure’ who paid for his own WWW15 car plate registration

In the aftermath of the July 9 rally for electoral reforms or Bersih 2.0 last year, MCA number two Liow Tiong Lai denied that tear gas was fired by the police into the compound of the Tung Shin hospital. Although he was not a witness, the Health minister defied video evidences in defending his claim, even blaming the wind for blowing smoke into the hospital's direction.

This time around, Liow finds himself in the thick of controversy over the bidding organised by Road Transport Department (JPJ) for those vying popular vehicle registration numbers under the 'WWW' series.

The JPJ earlier displayed the 9,999 Malaysians - including two sultans - who were ready to pay a combined total bid of RM64 million in exchange of several characters on their number plates.

Liow was among those successful, paying RM24,200 for the number 'WWW 15'.

Days later, netizens were intensely discussing who paid the amount, since Liow had claimed that it was for his ministry's new official car.

“Not sure, I have to check,” said Liow, while insisting the Health ministry did not foot the bill.

At a press conference today, support for him came from none other than party boss Dr Chua Soi Lek, who hinted the ministry could have paid the amount and justified the act by saying the money still returned to government coffers.

“The money went ‘from the left hand to the right hand’,” Chua was quoted as saying by news portal The Malaysian Insider.

Liow meanwhile continued to feign ignorance despite his name prominently displayed among proud owners of the top 20 numbers under 'WWW' series.

He even insisted that he did not know the cost when he decided to join the bidding frenzy.

“All ministers are eligible for one number, I didn’t exercise the option earlier. Numbers to me are not important, what is more important is service to the people,” declared the owner of 'WWW 15'.

Earlier, Northern-based Malay empowerment group Teras questioned the rationale behind spend such an amount on a vehicle number plate for an official car, saying there were other priorities to be attended to.

“Such attitude and mentality by our minister is why people are disgusted with national leadership. Just because they are in power, they justify everything,” said Teras chairman Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid in a statement to Harakahdaily.

In the meantime, who paid for Liow's 'number 15'? Could it be the same wind which Liow had once blamed for enveloping Tung Shin hospital with tear gas?

-Harakahdaily