Minister: DG can waive payment at Liow's request

A Road Transport Department (JPJ) officer revealed that Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai can write an appeal letter to the Transport Minister or JPJ Director-General to waive his bidding payment for the 'WWW15' car plate number.

According to a report in today'sSin Chew Daily, a Federal Territory JPJ public relations officer explained that once Liow (left)succeeds in his bid for the plate number he can write in to get his payment waived.

"Only the Transport Minister and Director-General have the power to approve his request.

"Paying or not depends on whether the owner of WWW15 plate number has written to request for waiver," he was quoted as saying by the Chinese newspaper.

The current Transport Minister is Kong Cho Ha, who is also MCA secretary-general, while Liow is MCA deputy president.

Its still not known whether or not Liow has written to the authority for the waiver.

Yesterday Liow revealed that he had received word from the Road Transport Department (RTD) that he need not pay the RM24,200 bidding price he had offered, as the number is "free".

The response came after Liow was panned for failing to answerreporters' queries on who had paid for the bidding of the plate number, which he claimed was for his new official car.

He initially claimed that he "does not know the cost" and that his officer had handled the matter on his behalf.

He also failed to give a convincing answer on the need to bid for the number, saying that his grandfather is also using the same number but at the same time he is "okay with any number".