BN biker scheme won't involve public funds

BN Youth's efforts to allow more people to afford motorcycle licences, dubbed the 1Malaysia Licence Assistance Programme (BL1M), does not involve public funds.

It's leader Khairy Jamaluddin said the scheme is being subsidised by participating driving schools who will still make a profit with an increased number of students.

“I think a lot of driving institutes will be with us because they look at volume. At RM199, I think they can still make money, and they want the volume.

“You see, rather than charge RM300 and get 500 applicants, (if) they charge RM199, they (can) get thousand plus applicants, that’s the volume game for them,” said Khairy.

He was speaking during a press conference to launch the BL1M official website, which spawned from an idea he proposed during the last Umno Youth AGM.

According to Khairy, driving institutes charge a RM380 fee for a motorcyclist course which was a burden for low-income earners.

Because of this, some people have refused to apply for a licence and end up on the Road Transport Department's blacklist when they are caught.

'Not creating more mat rempit'

By utilising BL1M, Malaysians aged 17 to 40 who are applying for the motorcycle license for the first time need to pay a fee of only RM199, which is the lowest flat rate in the country.

He added that the fee included the license application fee and photograph, riding lessons, fee for the computerised highway code theory test and practical test at a driving institute.

To a question, Khairy denied that the programme will contribute to the Mat Rempit menance, stressing that the programme is aimed at reducing their numbers.

“We give away (driving) licenses to them and offer road safety classes. This is the way we resolve this problem.

“‘Mat rempit won’t care whether they have license or not, the thing we make sure is to reduce road accident, raise the awareness of road safety by raising the number of licensed motorcyclist,” he said.

Khairy said that this programme will be launched by the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak end of this month and the official website will begin operating next month.